Lazarus IDE 1.4 RC2 docked: designing forms problem

[JuhaManninen]

I quote both Leledumbo and taazz here.

And whenever I click a component from the palette, the form designer is automatically brought to front where I can directly drop. No idea whether it's just me (or my window manager) or is really an implemented feature.

It is a feature. Somebody made a patch and I applied it already a long time ago. It was temporarily broken while I made the palette configurable but now works again.

To be frank "single click to open" is annoying as hell I prefer double click to open/change focus and single click to select view tips etc.

Quite the opposite! Double click is a user interface design bug.
I configure everything for single click, including my KDE on Linux and also Windows which fortunately allows it.
Luckily internet browsers already work with single click by default.

As for the form designer I'm sorry but it is always hiden by the source window regardless of the layout (docked or floating). In the first case (floating layout) it is behind what ever window you where last using

This makes no sense. In a floating layout you can place the windows so they don't hide each other. I guess your source editor does not cover the whole screen.
With docked layout it is more difficult because the docked area typically covers the whole screen.

[taazz]

I quote both Leledumbo and taazz here.

And whenever I click a component from the palette, the form designer is automatically brought to front where I can directly drop. No idea whether it's just me (or my window manager) or is really an implemented feature.

It is a feature. Somebody made a patch and I applied it already a long time ago. It was temporarily broken while I made the palette configurable but now works again.

To be frank "single click to open" is annoying as hell I prefer double click to open/change focus and single click to select view tips etc.

Quite the opposite! Double click is a user interface design bug.
I configure everything for single click, including my KDE on Linux and also Windows which fortunately allows it.
Luckily internet browsers already work with single click by default.

As for the form designer I'm sorry but it is always hiden by the source window regardless of the layout (docked or floating). In the first case (floating layout) it is behind what ever window you where last using

This makes no sense. In a floating layout you can place the windows so they don't hide each other. I guess your source editor does not cover the whole screen.
With docked layout it is more difficult because the docked area typically covers the whole screen.

How wide is you monitor exactly? If you can have form designer and code editor one next to an other it must be pretty wide or you have a multi-monitor setup which might be more sensible.
In any case I would love to see a working layout with the code editor and form designer one next to an other floating or docked layout even on the foreign environments that airpas mentioned.

As for the single/double click its a matter or perspective I guess, I never had the need to click something and something else to popup. Even web browsers don't do that and they suppose to be design to do that. I hate it when I click on list box, not a button, not a link not even a menu, a list box, and something pops up. Thank god I can usually change to double click in most environments. Same goes for the component palette if when Ι click on the component palette, which although is set up as a toolbar it misses functionality (the keyboard handling of things), the form designer gets focus then something is seriously wrong with the design. I wouldn't mind for the designer to come in front of all the other windows but the component palette must reserve the focus and be on top of the  designer at the end, actually I hide the component palette and all the toolbar buttons on that window leaving only the menu visible.

I like some hand holding from time to time I hate forceful guidance. Oh you click on the message window here there is the code that raised the error. Stupid IDE I haven't read the message yet stop assuming and show me the message window! Well you get the idea.

[taazz]

To be frank "single click to open" is annoying as hell I prefer double click to open/change focus and single click to select view tips etc.

Menu Tools > Options > Environment / Desktop: "Prefer double-click over single-click"

See attachments there is the option I use but its for the message window only. Not my point but thanks for the tip.

[Martin_fr]

Looks different in my IDE

According to the hint (not tested)
Message window, search result, jump history

[Martin_fr]

By a single style I mean either single click opens or double click opens not single click on messages focuses the edit window and double click on the component window to focus the designer. single or double, pick one and stick with it everywhere. anything else is simple annoying as hell.

What do you refer to  "component window". The one I have closes if double clicked (not sure why or what for, but different story)

[taazz]

IDE version? I'm still on Lazarus 1.2.4 r45510

By a single style I mean either single click opens or double click opens not single click on messages focuses the edit window and double click on the component window to focus the designer. single or double, pick one and stick with it everywhere. anything else is simple annoying as hell.

What do you refer to  "component window". The one I have closes if double clicked (not sure why or what for, but different story)

I mean the window that shows up when you select the menu "view\components (ctrl+alt+P)" and yes it closes up when "double clicked" that was the point single click vs double click not what it does.

[Martin_fr]

Ok, but afaik you want action on double click?

So, if you tick that checkbox from the option, then it is consistent.
(Though if it is *not* ticked, then it could be seen inconsistent)

message window:
- single click: select message
- double click: action (jump to error)

component palette
- single click: select component
- double click: action (close window)

Now I would agree the action makes no sense.
But then that is nothing to do with single versus double or is it? The action would not make sense, if it happened on single click?

As for why it closes I do not know, but maybe someone does, or maybe it can be changed. Best to raise a feature request.

[balazsszekely]

@Martin_fr
As for why it closes I do not know, but maybe someone does, or maybe it can be changed. Best to raise a feature request.

This is how it was design, although I do not understand why.
Take a look at  componentlist.pas:

Code: [Select]

procedure TComponentListForm.ComponentsDblClick(Sender: TObject);
// This is used for all 3 treeviews
begin
  UseAndCloseButtonClick(nil);       // Select and close this form
end;
The fix is trivial.

[JuhaManninen]

IDE version? I'm still on Lazarus 1.2.4 r45510

C'mon. This whole thread is about 1.4 RC2.

[taazz]

IDE version? I'm still on Lazarus 1.2.4 r45510

C'mon. This whole thread is about 1.4 RC2.

yes, so it is. My comments so far never touched any specific problem/bug or omision. Just comments on design details and making things a bit clear on definitions. So I should be in the clear except the options blooper that is.