Today I started to update my DDevExtensions for RAD Studio 2010. And while I was working on the code I ran into a problem with the new source formatter. No it is not how it formats the code but rather how it is invoked. Embarcadero set the short cut to Ctrl+D. So now have a look at the keyboard. The “D” is surrounded by “S”, “E, “F” and “C”. The “E” and “C” keys are in a different row, thus of of range for my fingers. But what’s with “S” and “D”? You can easily press them when you intent to press “D”. No big deal. Saving the file or invoking the search doesn’t harm. But let’s see this from a different side. What if you want to invoke the search or you want to save the file and instead of pressing “S” or “F” you hit “D” by accident. Your source code will be reformatted. And that is what I don’t want. Especially not if the source formatter destroys your “syntax layout” (it can’t know that I want my constant byte array with linebreaks after specific elements).
So one of the new DDevExtensions 2.0 feature will be the “Disable Source Formatter hotkey” function.
Another new feature will be the “Editor tab double click action” option that allows you to choose between “No action”, “Zoom” and “Super-Zoom”. (Thanks Embarcadero for leaving the code from Delphi 2007 in the code, I know it isn’t perfect but users seem to want that feature, including me).
And last but no least DDevExtensions 2.0 fixes RAD Studio 2010’s TAB key. If you select a word in a line and you press TAB the IDE indents the whole line. That is not what the TAB key does in applications like Visual Studio. I first thought that this would be something for my IDE Fix Pack but it needs a keyboard binding class which I have in DDevExtensions but not in the IDE Fix Pack. And adding one to the IDE Fix Pack would be overkill.
More feature to come as they fall into my mind or hit me while I’m working in the newest Embarcadero product.
BTW: The next IDE Fix Pack will speed up RAD Studio’s startup on Vista (64 bit) / Windows 7 (64 bit) installations. But you won’t be able to turn on the “Use Editor Font” checkbox anymore. The problem with the 64 bit systems is that Windows applies the compatibility rules to the Adobe Type Manager (atmfd.dll) what causes Windows to load all %System%\catroot files when a font is converted to a TTF and installed. And I have never seen anyone activating the “Use Editor Font” checkbox.
Hi Andreas,
Nice to see you working on the new DDevExtensions.
Check the next to last paragraph, you wrote “Emarcadero”.
The Ctrl-D shortcut does not work in the IDE classic keymapping. Well, it does, but it only moves the cursor forward, it does not implement the source formatter. Oddly the right click menu on the editor does not update.
You might want to take that into consideration.
Oh, and definitely bring back the zoom modes if you can – they are definitely useful.
I actually click the “Use Editor Font” checkbox! 😉
Will it be possible to turn the optimization off? My delphi 2010 cold starts in 4 seconds so I don’t really have a problem with it.
@Peter: I must correct me. The “Use Editor Font” is not affected by the IDE Fix Pack change. I thought that it would be because IDE Fix Pack prevents the IDE from loading the “Editor Font” which seems to be something completely different than the “Code Insight Use Editor Font” option.