Welcome to the Arabelle expert.

What is it?

Arabella is an ide expert that contains its own pascal compiler. This enables
a set of inteligent wizard functions that work context sensitiv eg. read the
expression under the cursor and work with that symbol. Arabella uses many
information found in the source texts, such as class dependencies, but it does
not show a class tree (this will be added in feature versions).

Now you will ask, why it does not show a class tree. This is becaus we think
it costs to much time to fiddle in another window to navigate inside your source
code. Most of the time, the cursor stands on a symbol (eg variable, procedure,
property) you want to work with. Arabella knows everything about that symbol,
even if it is yet undefined. To jump to it is only one keystroke. To Edit it
is only one keystroke, to open the manual page is only one keystroke and so on.

Here is an example of how Arabella travels through the class tree by itself:
Enter an expression such as "Form1.ShowModal" (provided Form1 is of type TForm
or one of its inherited) in the third combo box. Arabella will open forms.pas
for you and place the cursor in "TCustomForm.ShowModal"
(If there is no TForm1.ShowModal). The same thing happens if you place your
cursor on a line showing "ShowModal" and press alt-j.





It also contains much functions to analyze your project, for example a form
dependencies, a table dependencies, a unit dependencies. Simply doubleclick
a table object in the dfm to view the table contents and the connections.

More detailed information is in the help file.


Installation
************

If you want to use the manual editor, please create a folder containing the
database files from the archiv. Create a paradox alias pointing to that folder
and name it arabella.

To install the expert select Component/Install package. The click the add button
and select the arabella.dpl file.

Now your delphi is powered by arabella.

To get to the full power of Arabella you have to do some things in the options
menu:

  * First Add the VCL path (if you have a professional version) to the Delphi
    or the Arabella path. To do this, simply open the Arabella/Options, select
    any file in \program file\borland\delphi 3\source\vcl
  * Next you must specify the Arablla temp directory in options licence information.
    Here Arabella will store things such as relevant files.  

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS:

On some systems arabella does not start. For me this is verry difficult to trace.
If you have some problems, please start the logwind.exe application and select
datei/logfile. Choose a filename and THEN start Delphi. After the problem occured,
go to the logwind application and choose datei/close logfile. Mail the file
to
  thomas.quester@hamburg.netsurf.de

  Together with an error description.

Logwind must be started before arablla starts, otherwise it will ignore it
and runs normally.


How to use it
*************


To start the Arabella wizard, open a project and click the light bub. Arabella now
will compile your project to create its symbol table. This will take a while, but the
next time, it has the symbol tables in its own stream format and can load it quickly.

If you click the light bulb again, only the files changed are recompiled.

Now you can hyperjump to any symbol in your source file simply by pressing alt-j,
edit any variable, property or procedure prototype by pressing alt-t.
