Improved code completion and code tips

[David Maruca]

Features that greatly speed up programming for me:

In my "other IDE," I can start typing a single character and hit ctl+<something> and get a drop down list of all variable names, functions, classes, and everything that is in every referenced project (that would be #Includes for PB). I would like for includes to be parsed for automatic code completions and tips. Even if there is a performance hit or 400mb of memory used it wouldn't matter to me. Time is more important than computer memory.

Currently code completion is so hit and miss. I generally don't need intellisense type completion (as much) for modules and classes that are directly in my project because I am more familiar with the code since I wrote it. It's all those OTHER includes that I need help with. Every PB IDE I've encountered seems to be like this and I think it's a shame. Sometimes I'm actually shocked when I get a code completion drop-down because they are so infrequent. I am referring to things like this:

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#INCLUDE...

Sub Test()
    Dim pStorage As IStorage
    pStorage.  <--waaaah I want a list!!!!
End Sub

Something else that greatly increases productivity is automatic case conversion and line tidying. For instance if I declare something like so:

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Dim myCamelCaseVariable as String

mycamelcasevariable= "something"

'When I move off of the line no automatic cleanup happens

An automatic case conversion to the original camel case indicates to me that I didn't misspell anything. An automatic line tidying let me know that there isn't any syntax issues. For instance I get something like this:

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Function FuncName(Paramater as String )

I'd love to see the editor automatically remove that extra space and add an End Function for me. SED does a good job of this.

Well, I hope none of this is taken as harsh criticism. They are simply things on my wish list. Those small things like that greatly increase productivity and I would immediately and permanently switch to any PB IDE that could do it all right the first time. Call me spoiled if you wish, but stuff like that is a lot easier than having 4-5+ tabs open in notepad++ fishing for keywords and copy/pasting.

Another tool I use frequently in MS products is the object browser... LOL I keep going. Let's just hack visual studio to compile pbwin and be done with it.

Thanks for reading,

David

[Rolf Brandt]

The automatic case conversion of variables is also on my wish list. Its a great help agains misspelled variables.

[Marc van Cauwenberghe]

I know it's an old post but you got my vote for the suggested improvements.
Anf it would be nice if the tab key worked: completing the word and positioning the cursor just after the word.

Thanks.

[Paul Squires]

And it would be nice if the tab key worked: completing the word and positioning the cursor just after the word.

I have finally implemented the TAB key to end the autocompletion. 

[Marc van Cauwenberghe]

Nice!!!

[Robert Eaton]

Yea!!!