Ahhhhh summer...... We don't get much summer around these parts (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). However, I have been making HUGE strides in developing FireFly 3 over the last number of months. I can't begin to tell you the number of times that I wrote, re-wrote, parts of the system. I have gone through at least three fully different GUI's for the main part of the application. At one point, I had a fully working IDE that closely resembled the new Microsoft Visual Studio (C#, VB.Net) environment with all of the flyout toolbars and pinnable/docking sidebars. I HATED it :) I couldn't wait to scrap it and go back to the traditional FireFly layout (ala Visual Basic 6'ish).
I have practically re-wrote Borje Hagston's EDM32 editing component in order to make it work exactly as I wanted it to. The biggest changes being code folding and virtual line ends. The editor is still a bit finicky but it is certainly progressing very well.
I re-wrote totally the code generator. It is significantly faster. Significantly. Large projects will definitely benefit from this. In addition, generated code is 15% to 20% smaller for large projects.
I re-wrote totally the ToolBar Editor, Menu Editor, and StatusBar Editor. Much easier to use now.
I no longer use .frx files to store binary resources for forms/project. A FireFly project now has somewhat hard coded paths for images, modules, forms and release code. This is something that I should have done a long time ago because it has greatly simplified code and allows for images to be used multiple times in a project but only added to the resource file once.
Importing of pre-version 3 projects is working okay. Still some work to do in this area (especially with importing Toolbars).
I am now using FireFly 3 to develop FireFly 3. Very weird feeling but the efficiency gains are tremendous.
I have part of the Code Library editor completed. This will probably be the single biggest improvement for most people. Having a ton of pre-built source code available to be included in your projects simply by typing the function name (or complete engines such as ADO/DAO by ticking its reference).
Navigation: Hugely improved! All subs/functions and message handlers are now listed in the Project Explorer. You can even highlight function names in code and jump to the function itself (similar to F6 in JellyFish Editor).
Still working on global/project wide find/replace.
I am now down to only two pages of to-do list items before the beta is released. I will let you know more about that as time goes by. I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel now for FireFly 3.
I still plan on supporting more languages than PowerBASIC.
Okay, how about some screenshots? They are attached.
[attachment deleted by admin]
Paul,
It looks like you're making considerable progress.
I know it is probably too late to include some wishes in 3.0, but here goes.
I would like a more complete list of Firefly generated events. For example, only some of the controls support the "Change" event, few support the "Click" event. Although I don't want to turn Firefly into VB, however, a more complete and consistent access to common events would be appreciated. Nothing irritates me more when I'm prototyping with FF and not having access to a common event, like listview click for instance, to do some processing chore and I'm forced at that point to stop prototyping and switch gears to figure out how to manually trap this message and losing a lot of time doing it in the mean time.
Some of the events could be cracked further by parsing lParam and wParam. I know Phoenix does this and I really appreciate this attention to detail.
When clicking on the events that Firefly does generate, from the editor combo boxes, some of the events are continually added to the source code, which creates a "Duplicate Name" compiler error, it is easily fixed, but still... Text controls do this on my PC.
How about a preprocessing utility to search for those "Duplicate Names"? (Actually the PB compiler should do this for the user, but it doesn't seem to be too high on Mr. Zale's priority list.)
How about a utility for generating the code to resize a form and manipulating the controls during the resize. I've coded this type of thing and it is always a pain in the neck and various other parts of the anatomy.
Anyway looking forward to FF 3.0
JR
Hey paul it is looking good! :o
Question: Would it be too much trouble to add Zooming to the forms?
sometimes i need to see the form from a closer point of view.
Also, a faster way to go from a form to another would be nice, i have a project
with 29 forms and 7 modules. I kinda need luggage to Go from Main form (1st in the tabbed order)
to the form #29. ;D
Its looking amazing. Keep up the good work! :D
Love the new look of the Tool Tab with the controls. A couple questions I'm wondering looking as properties. Is the BackBitmap stuff working good now? I haven't used it in a while. Especially with Transparent labels and such. And, one problem I have every now and then is somehow when I select a property the selection bar is on the property, but the cursor is blinking on the property above or below it. This causes some weird issues. Sometimes the values are swapped, sometimes they both get the same value, and sometimes it just goes nuts. Is the property selection more linked between the two now?
So, you decided to get Vista huh? Or is that your new FF Theme?
I'm glad to hear that progress is ongoing. My favorite tool looks like it has a bright future. Keep up the great work, and thanks for the update.
That's great news on my return from vacation.
Marc
Still lots to do but the pace has picked up considerably since switching to writing the code in FireFly 3. Yesterday I started working on the Task List dialog. The user will be able to keep track of three separate types of itesm: (1) User defined tasks, (2) To-do's as define din comments placed anywhere in your code, and (3) General project notes. This functionality should make it easier for the programmer to keep all of their project ideas in one place during development.
That is great,
it could become a very, very usefull tools. I cann't wait to try it.
I have tried programs like axosoft Ontime which is great but to much for what I personally want.
Marc
Quote from: Marc Van Cauwenberghe on August 20, 2007, 09:18:20 AM
... axosoft Ontime ...
I just viewed their QuickTime presentation at their website. Wow, that is a pretty deep program. Pretty cool program nonetheless. FireFly's tools in that area will pale in comparison - they will be more in line with Visual Studio's features.
Don't worry Paul, it is not what I am looking for.
Although great, it is slow (on my computer) and has far to many features. It geared at developing software with multiple persons, etc...
The Single-user Installations is FREE which is nice.
Marc
Yep --- Frequently Less IS More
I like the current FireFly as compared to the "Studio" products and Dot Net. I don't even use all of FireFly. The V3 feature list looks great but my expectation is V3 will be a further evolution of what I think is one of the greatest programming tools anywhere and it will be "Just Right" for me.
QuoteI couldn't wait to scrap it and go back to the traditional FireFly layout (ala Visual Basic 6'ish).
I agree completely!! Simple is better.
When the beta is far enough along and you are ready to compile that "mother of all" FF programs you know where to find me!
Quote from: Mark Strickland on August 24, 2007, 10:20:32 AM
... When the beta is far enough along and you are ready to compile that "mother of all" FF programs you know where to find me!
You better believe it! Your program will probably be the litmus test for whether FF3 passes the grade or not. :)
If nothing else, I think that you guys will be very happy with the new code navigation shortcuts. You can do the F6, Shift+F6, shortcuts like are in JellyFish Pro in order to jump from function to function just by clicking on its name in the editor. The Explorer treeview also breaks down the navigation either by Form/Control/Module or alphabetically (I will post a screenshot of it to demonstrate).
Here are the screen shots.....
Will FFv2 code files be readable/covertable by FFv3 ?
How seemless will the transition be from version 2 to version 3 ?
Quote from: Marty Francom on September 13, 2007, 09:59:34 PM
Will FFv2 code files be readable/covertable by FFv3 ?
How seemless will the transition be from version 2 to version 3 ?
Yes, FF2 files will convert to FF3. The only code left to work on in the convertor is code to better enable rebar/toolbars to convert. The convert works now, but there is a bit of manual stuff that the user needs to do in order to get rebars/toolbars working in FF3 (not much, but there is a few clicks). I need to make that transition a little smoother.
Also, I have been holding off on COM/ActiveX integration in FF3 so that conversion code has not been written. All other controls seem to convert very well.