Office 2007 GUI for an IDE - What do you think ?
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Office 2007 GUI for an IDE - What do you think ?
Hi,
I'm still working on a new dev environment for Swordfish. I'm trying to find all ways to make users of the new IDE as productive as possible.
I just want your opinion about something concerning the User Interface (GUI) for a development environment (IDE).
Do you think that an Office 2007 ribbon like GUI (if well managed and options well organized) is well suited for such task ?
Please, answer the Poll, and give your comments.
Regards
octal
I'm still working on a new dev environment for Swordfish. I'm trying to find all ways to make users of the new IDE as productive as possible.
I just want your opinion about something concerning the User Interface (GUI) for a development environment (IDE).
Do you think that an Office 2007 ribbon like GUI (if well managed and options well organized) is well suited for such task ?
Please, answer the Poll, and give your comments.
Regards
octal
Well, I managed to show some screenshots of the new IDE, but please, consider that only for differenciating the two GUI, I'll show a full version of the IDE once it's finished !!! The IDE, for sure, is not yet ready. It's still in design phase and needs a lot of more work. !!!
These screenshots will let you see the difference and let you see first screenshots of my new IDE for Swordfish Basic.
here are the screenshots : First screenshots with OLD GUI, followed by new GUI screenshots
Note that for making the new gui screenshots I only added some of the features implemented. I did that only to show the editor at work, the final disposition of options and features will be for sure different. and note also that in OLD or NEW GUI everything is costumizable, so you'll be able costumize toolbars to show or hide features.
PS. Note that all these screenshots are NOT full screen screenshots. I'm using a 19" monitor at 1280x1024 resolution screen. If I put the IDE full screen I get more space for coding in even Old on new gui.
Waiting for your comments !
Old GUI with menu and toolbars
Old GUI with menu and toolbars: you can see the coloured vertical bar (Yellow and green just after lines numbers) that shows modified lines (yellow) and new inserted lines (green) since last modification.
You can also see the vertical lines that shows code structure (If/endif, While/wend,...)
You can also see Code folding on declarations, subs and functions.
Old GUI : Syntax autocompletion (actually works for SF predefined variables types, constants and sub/func. It will be generalized to user defined sub/func and vars/consts.
Old GUI : Braces matching and highlighting
Note that the function GetTemporisation() is folded, so its code is hidden.
Old GUI : parameter hints - no need to remember functions params, parmas types or their position anymore. Works also for user typed functions !!!
The NEW GUI : (same functions as before).
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Blue Theme
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Blue Theme with the ribbon minimized.
As in MSOffice the ribbon can be minimized by double clicking on any tab. The ribbon popups when the user click on a tab or use the keyb (Alt).
User can also recover space bu folding lateral panels using the folding button "<<" and ">>" in panels header.
Note also that now you can see more code since you can fold functions and subroutines ...
The screenshot shows also Parameters hints support for user defined functions. Here the function FileExists(...) overloads are defined some lines before the function where they are called (see the two overloads folded before modified function).
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Silver Theme
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Black Theme
Waiting for your comments
regards
octal
These screenshots will let you see the difference and let you see first screenshots of my new IDE for Swordfish Basic.
here are the screenshots : First screenshots with OLD GUI, followed by new GUI screenshots
Note that for making the new gui screenshots I only added some of the features implemented. I did that only to show the editor at work, the final disposition of options and features will be for sure different. and note also that in OLD or NEW GUI everything is costumizable, so you'll be able costumize toolbars to show or hide features.
PS. Note that all these screenshots are NOT full screen screenshots. I'm using a 19" monitor at 1280x1024 resolution screen. If I put the IDE full screen I get more space for coding in even Old on new gui.
Waiting for your comments !
Old GUI with menu and toolbars
Old GUI with menu and toolbars: you can see the coloured vertical bar (Yellow and green just after lines numbers) that shows modified lines (yellow) and new inserted lines (green) since last modification.
You can also see the vertical lines that shows code structure (If/endif, While/wend,...)
You can also see Code folding on declarations, subs and functions.
Old GUI : Syntax autocompletion (actually works for SF predefined variables types, constants and sub/func. It will be generalized to user defined sub/func and vars/consts.
Old GUI : Braces matching and highlighting
Note that the function GetTemporisation() is folded, so its code is hidden.
Old GUI : parameter hints - no need to remember functions params, parmas types or their position anymore. Works also for user typed functions !!!
The NEW GUI : (same functions as before).
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Blue Theme
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Blue Theme with the ribbon minimized.
As in MSOffice the ribbon can be minimized by double clicking on any tab. The ribbon popups when the user click on a tab or use the keyb (Alt).
User can also recover space bu folding lateral panels using the folding button "<<" and ">>" in panels header.
Note also that now you can see more code since you can fold functions and subroutines ...
The screenshot shows also Parameters hints support for user defined functions. Here the function FileExists(...) overloads are defined some lines before the function where they are called (see the two overloads folded before modified function).
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Silver Theme
The Ribbon version in Office2007 Black Theme
Waiting for your comments
regards
octal
Last edited by octal on Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:41 pm, edited 5 times in total.
I think it looks great, but is the effort worth the cosmetic overhaul?
I'm an office '03 user as well, and don't have any issues with the current style and functionality.
That said, the next upgrade will have '07, and I may (will) grow to like the new features and wish all my development software shared them
I'm an office '03 user as well, and don't have any issues with the current style and functionality.
That said, the next upgrade will have '07, and I may (will) grow to like the new features and wish all my development software shared them
digital-diy.com - Hobby microcontroller projects and tutorials. Assembly, PICBasic and C examples.
Australian distributor for the Swordfish Compiler
Australian distributor for the Swordfish Compiler
Thank you gramo,gramo wrote:I think it looks great, but is the effort worth the cosmetic overhaul?
I agree with the fact tha old style is more familiar for developers. Perhaps it's better. For sure managing old gui it's less work and less effort. If I had to finish the project, I think I'll stick with it.
As for now, I sincerly think that the whole project itself is not worth. The developement of the IDE itself is a very interresting programming experience, but it's also a real waste of time and usefulness.
This project is on hold for now. sorry!
Regards
octal