lazarus GUI like Delphi 7 to 100%

[skalogryz]

However you are not a new user. In what situation you need to explicitly close a project?
I have understood that a long time ago there was no dialog but it was added because many people wanted it.

I do close projects from time to time (though indeed rate). Typically if I make to many "recent files/project" jumps and I'm unsure about the project I have opened.

Speaking of history. Originally IDE didn't have many features out-side of the project scope. That's why there was not an option to close one.

Right now IDE has many options that could be addressed without having a project opened:
* packages (installation/removal);
* configuration of IDE itself and/or packages;
* some other tools in the system;

If I need to change FPC version or directory or select a new package to be installed, why would I have to click "New Project" -> "Application"? (just from the usability point of view?).

I'm tend to right all sorts of IDE extensions, as you know
And IDE extension package cannot be a part of any project (as it doesn't really make sense), so I actually have to have something opened to continue editing the package.

IDE does allow to have a project opened without any source files opened.
So isn't it consistent to have IDE opened without any project opened?

[TurboRascal]

The inability to close all projects baffled me at first, but soon I realized I have no real need to do it. Most of the time I wanted either to reopen a project or to start a new one; Lazarus isn't really that much useful without a project. Sometimes I might wish to tweak some option or package after finishing the work and closing the project, but in that case I simply click "New Project" - that's so fast that it doesn't pose any delay, and the new "project" windows I simply ignore and do whatever I wanted to do.

Perhaps the only reason with any merit is when one opens a *.pas file from a file manager. Then a new project can pose a little annoyance, because all the other project stuff also pops up.

[skalogryz]

The inability to close all projects baffled me at first, but...

Now you highlighted it youself. Seeing the modal window is just counter-intuitive.
And Delphi 7 does (or did) close project in intuitive way.

I don't recall any wishes to Borland like "let's add empty IDE modal window".
That's why Main Menu is there! (to allow actions on an empty IDE).

[skalogryz]

Still, the code could be refactored so that session info is not tied to projects. It would be ok. It requires good knowledge of Lazarus internals and may be too difficult for new contributors though.

Challenging tasks are the best!
Don't tell me you always worked on tasks that didn't required any learning from you. I just won't believe it.

[jwhitten]

>> Personally I hate this modal dialog when closing a project (because it looks too complex to me to be a modal dialog... yet again this is personal)

Yup, I agree. It seems "wrong", like you're always supposed to be in some project. What about the times when you're working with packages, or tweaking up something that's not a project? There are definitely times it seems "wrong" to always be in a project.

[JuhaManninen]

Challenging tasks are the best!
Don't tell me you always worked on tasks that didn't required any learning from you. I just won't believe it.

Sure I am learning. With Lazarus code I am often at the edge of my brain capacity. And yes, the feeling of success is double nice after a challenging task.
If someone changes the session thing, great, but the current behavior does not bother me so much.
I can keep any project open while installing packages or using external tools. I don't need to open a new project for that.
I remember it did bother me at the beginning when I learned to use Lazarus.

[skalogryz]

I remember it did bother me at the beginning when I learned to use Lazarus.

As all other poster here. It bugs in the beginning, but then people just get used to it.

[snorkel]

yes I know that lazarus is actively developped and I agree 100% that is a very good product,
But! for exemple if you close a project you must open other one or create a new else the IDE will be closed.
the tool bars in D7 wee can rearrange them.
not support a dynamic loading of packages.
EXE's still geat in size compared to that Delphi produce (even using upx and strip together).

thanks

You just have to uncheck the include debugger info in the linker options and the exe will be dramaticaly reduced in size, and
the exes are smaller than newer versions of delphi.  Yes they will be bigger than Delphi 7, but you certainly don't need to use UPX on them.
Lazarus does a lot more than delphi 7 and that makes the exes a bit bigger, just as newer versions of Delphi create bigger exes than delphi 7.
Delphi 2 created way smaller exes than delphi 7, but does that make it better?