Feature request - new "find" box

[Mastropiero]

Hello,

I think that the "find" and "replace" dialogs are a bit outdated and annoying. I suggest to implement a new find box mimicking the one in Visual Studio Code. This new find box would be alternative and not a full replacement (a new IDE parameter would allow the user choose between the classic and new one).

I see several reasons for this:

-The current dialog is a modal form and sometimes it is useful to be able to see/change the actual code while filling in the find/replace parameters.
-The modal forms involves more clicks.
-When you use "find", the found text gets selected and if you accidentally press any key, the block is deleted without notice. It's better just to highlight the found text (without actually making it "selected").
-To catch up with modern trends. Many (younger) people have attempted to give Lazarus a chance but they find the IDE quite awkward.

[cdbc]

Hi
It has already been done, I think it was @Theo, who shared his clever 'real-time' search-panel. It's here in the forum, you just need to search for it...
IIRC it's an installable package, that when installed, shows up at the bottom of the editor \o/
Maybe search for "Search-panel" or something like that 
Regards Benny

edit: found it HERE

[paweld]

https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,61533.msg463124.html

[cdbc]

Hi
@paweld: Wauw, that was 'Rutzi Futzi'  Good on you mate.
Regards Benny

[Martin_fr]

-To catch up with modern trends. Many (younger) people have attempted to give Lazarus a chance but they find the IDE quite awkward.

Completely independent of the idea itself, and the pro and con for it....

I would be interested in the sources for that statement. Was there a (representative? / how big) poll? Or how has this knowledge been established? Also, if it is "many younger", does that imply "older" have also been polled, to verify they do not have the same impression?

Or have numbers been derived from searching existing posts (on some website(s))? And if so, how have things like age group been established. How were the pro/con groups weighted, given that often those wanting a change will make more noise than those not needing that change?

Or is that just: based on your personal circle (people you know personally / i.e. a rather small, non representative group)? Or even, you just personally assume that this is the case?

Just wondering. I mean, if you make statements like that, you surely have the data to uphold them?


As for the part "it is modal". I see the point. I don't know what other think here, but IMHO making the dialog non modal (and optionally keeping it open after a search) could be of interest.

As for the VSC panel:
- I haven't found a way to move it, it hides part of the text
- I don't find the icons intuitive (how does "underline" signify "whole words"? Or the icon that normally means "align left" suddenly means "selection")

But that is just according to my personal taste.

Of course, as for "hides part of the text" => if you work on a single small screen (e.g. laptop / netbook / tablet) then given the size of the current dialog, it does not matter where you move it, it will hide part of the text.

It's a question for how much screen space the GUI is designed.

[wp]

It has already been done, I think it was @Theo, who shared his clever 'real-time' search-panel. It's here in the forum, you just need to search for it...
[...]
edit: found it HERE

It's even in OPM: "LazIdeSearchPanel"

[cdbc]

Cool 
Thanks wp.
Regards Benny

[Mastropiero]

Hi
It has already been done, I think it was @Theo, who shared his clever 'real-time' search-panel. It's here in the forum, you just need to search for it...
IIRC it's an installable package, that when installed, shows up at the bottom of the editor \o/
Maybe search for "Search-panel" or something like that 
Regards Benny

edit: found it HERE

Excellent!!!   Thank you for the hint.

It's exactly what I was looking for.

[Mastropiero]

I would be interested in the sources for that statement. Was there a (representative? / how big) poll? Or how has this knowledge been established? Also, if it is "many younger", does that imply "older" have also been polled, to verify they do not have the same impression?

This kind of response from the community is exactly one of the main reasons the adoption of Lazarus is so low compared to other languages/frameworks/IDEs.

[dsiders]

I would be interested in the sources for that statement. Was there a (representative? / how big) poll? Or how has this knowledge been established? Also, if it is "many younger", does that imply "older" have also been polled, to verify they do not have the same impression?

This kind of response from the community is exactly one of the main reasons the adoption of Lazarus is so low compared to other languages/frameworks/IDEs.

And this kind of post is one of the reasons that the Ignore List exists in the forum software.

[Martin_fr]

I would be interested in the sources for that statement. Was there a (representative? / how big) poll? Or how has this knowledge been established? Also, if it is "many younger", does that imply "older" have also been polled, to verify they do not have the same impression?

This kind of response from the community is exactly one of the main reasons the adoption of Lazarus is so low compared to other languages/frameworks/IDEs.

You conveniently left out an important bit from your quote of my post:

Completely independent of the idea itself, and the pro and con for it....

I did not even make any claim that your statement is wrong. I simple said, that I do not know if it is right or wrong.  But also and importantly: It does not become right just because you write it.

And it does not even matter, that I personally think your request is a good idea.

I've been around long enough, to have read many such statements.  Especially with your closing statement "many found Lazarus awkward" => in other words, there is a hinted implication: change that, and we get many new users?
That is a promise made very regularly, for various features that people just want.  And a few have been implemented. And then, well the promised users did not come.

So yeah, due to heavy past abuse by others of statements about "the feature will bring popularity", that "reasoning" of yours is not convincing to me. (not unless there is clear representative data supporting that claim).

Again, read carefully.
- About the reasoning, not about the request
- I am actually personally for your idea. But just not ok with your way of reasoning.

Bad news: I wont have time to do any implementation of such a feature. Plenty of other stuff.

[dsiders]

I would be interested in the sources for that statement. Was there a (representative? / how big) poll? Or how has this knowledge been established? Also, if it is "many younger", does that imply "older" have also been polled, to verify they do not have the same impression?

This kind of response from the community is exactly one of the main reasons the adoption of Lazarus is so low compared to other languages/frameworks/IDEs.

You conveniently left out an important bit from your quote of my post:

Completely independent of the idea itself, and the pro and con for it....

I did not even make any claim that your statement is wrong. I simple said, that I do not know if it is right or wrong.  But also and importantly: It does not become right just because you write it.

And it does not even matter, that I personally think your request is a good idea.

I've been around long enough, to have read many such statements.  Especially with your closing statement "many found Lazarus awkward" => in other words, there is a hinted implication: change that, and we get many new users?
That is a promise made very regularly, for various features that people just want.  And a few have been implemented. And then, well the promised users did not come.

So yeah, due to heavy past abuse by others of statements about "the feature will bring popularity", that "reasoning" of yours is not convincing to me. (not unless there is clear representative data supporting that claim).

Again, read carefully.
- About the reasoning, not about the request
- I am actually personally for your idea. But just not ok with your way of reasoning.

Bad news: I wont have time to do any implementation of such a feature. Plenty of other stuff.

Martin: I quoted the wrong post. I'm sorry. I was responding to Mastropiero. I deserve that ass-chewing.

[Martin_fr]

Martin: I quoted the wrong post. I'm sorry. I was responding to Mastropiero. I deserve that ass-chewing.

And you quoted him. And I was not replying to you, but to him.