Some small things which make the work with Lazarus easier lazarus / 6-IDE-CodeTools ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flo · 2005-06-24 18:43 My Test-Application: I create a new Application, place a Button on it and but the following Code in the OnClick Procedure; Code: [Select]   if Button1.left + Button1.width >= Form1.width then Button1.left := 0;   Button1.left := Button1.left + 50; I mark this lines as Breakpoints and run the Application with F9. The first thing to fix is that I get a "Can't find unit1"-dialog, when the Application is at the first breakpoint. Why not a Savedialog or better nothing(if i just want to test something)? It would be also great if someone would remove this Savedialog when I close the unmodified files(If I change the file there is still an other save question!!). Yes and i miss a way of closing everthing! Including the project!!! So that I can be sure that nothing is open. An other thing is that the last project is open at start by default, but without the units! Please make it default that a new start means a new project. That makes it easier for beginner to reset the start conditions. And what do Start->restet Debuger ? I only know that I can use it to create a some Errors, when i call it(but only if i call it after the debug or while debugging). Flo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- glober · 2005-06-25 02:28 Quote from: "Flo"An other thing is that the last project is open at start by default, but without the units! Please make it default that a new start means a new project. That makes it easier for beginner to reset the start conditions. If you don't want to re-load the last project after a re-start then go to: Environmet -> Environment options -> Files, and uncheck 'Open last project at start'. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Flo · 2005-06-25 07:51 Quote from: "glober"Quote from: "Flo"An other thing is that the last project is open at start by default, but without the units! Please make it default that a new start means a new project. That makes it easier for beginner to reset the start conditions. If you don't want to re-load the last project after a re-start then go to: Environmet -> Environment options -> Files, and uncheck 'Open last project at start'. I know this now, but at the beginning I had trubble with that. It was like this: First start everthing is ok -> I tried it and then some strange thinks happend. I thought a restart would help but the project was reloaded and I have the same trouble again. Until I found that option I have allways get Error Messages on start and must create a new Application to work around that. Not a nice start... So please disable it by default.(If someone want this he can enable it) Flo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Keneto · 2005-12-10 14:19 I've now implemented Lazarus in my class for one year. My students are encouraged to download it and work with it at home and out of some 200 students, this has been a problem for 200 of them. M$ Word does not, on open, reload the last essay you typed, nor does Excel or VC. I am aware that Access dialogs to re-open the last edited database, and I know Delphi can be configured to do this. I, personally, don't mind, but for my students this always results in applications getting crossed. Off-Topic Since FPC can't handle spaces in file names, they usually end up saving their projects to root or saving projects that "get lost" in my documents never to compile again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- glober · 2005-12-11 02:39 Another way to not load the last project is to start Lazarus with the --skip-last-project option. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- felipemdc · 2005-12-11 09:34 Quote from: "Keneto"I've now implemented Lazarus in my class for one year. My students are encouraged to download it and work with it at home and out of some 200 students, this has been a problem for 200 of them. Why don´t you submit a bug report asking for this option to be disabled by default? I think it is a good idea to do so if it causes so much trouble. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Vincent Snijders · 2005-12-11 13:41 Quote from: "Keneto"I've now implemented Lazarus in my class for one year. My students are encouraged to download it and work with it at home and out of some 200 students, this has been a problem for 200 of them. What is the problem exactly? Quote from: "sekel" Why don´t you submit a bug report asking for this option to be disabled by default? I think it is a good idea to do so if it causes so much trouble. I don't think the default will be changed. Most people continue to work on the same project which they were working on last time. If this is not the case for your students they have three ways to turns this behaviour off: 1. In Environmnent Options, mentioned above. 2. From the command line, mentioned above 3. Editing environmentoptions.xml like this: Code: [Select]             The last method is usefull for a sysadmin on a system where lazarus is shared by different persons. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Keneto1 · 2006-01-13 16:14 The problem is this: students new to the IDE system are able to complete their first assignment with few difficulties. However, when they try to start their second assignment, they tend to click File>New, forgetting that they needed to click project>new project. Now, since Lazarus had opened their prior project on load, they now have two projects going at the same time. Once they realize what's going on they try to close the window of the first project (but as we know, Lazarus is still compiling the first project anyway - since there really is only one project). So they try to close every window they can find (But as we know, Lazarus has no option to just close everything). Once they describe the problem, I know immediately what's going on and demonstrate on a classroom computer how to set environment options and create new projects. 9 times out of 10 they go home and fix the problem. One in 10 times they still can't do it because they are inept (Beginners often are. Remember the first time you ever loaded an IDE?). Current solution: I'm creating a special build of Lazarus for them that creates a directory called "c:\work" so they don't go trying to save in "c:\documents and settings\user\my documents" and also sets all the proper build/evironment options on install. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Vincent Snijders · 2006-01-13 19:49 Thanks for the explanation. I think you found the perfect solution. Your situation is probably not unique, but as far as I can see not the most common one either. Do you use InnoSetup for your special build? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- matthijs · 2006-01-14 10:08 Quote from: "Keneto"M$ Word does not, on open, reload the last essay you typed, nor does Excel or VC. I am aware that Access dialogs to re- open the last edited database, and I know Delphi can be configured to do this. This is not an argument. MS Word is something quite different to a develloping environment. Lazarus, Delphi, VS and such are build to make projects / programs. Usually the development of an application takes a bit more time then the writing of a letter. Sometimes I would like Word to open the last document I worked on as well, especially when I'm writing interface documentation or other project related documents. This just goes to show that the developping of systems is something else then the ordinary memo writing in Word. But you are right for students it may be easier if the IDE started without opening the last project. But that can be configured by them with one click of their mouse. Quote from: "Keneto" Since FPC can't handle spaces in file names, they usually end up saving their projects to root or saving projects that "get lost" in my documents never to compile again. They should learn to work in an orderly, structured way. That means thinking about where files should be stored. This also helps them when they want to look up something they worked on before. What I try to say here is: Don't ask from a tool what you cannot expect from it and you should really do yourself. Working in a structured way is something a tool should assist you in, but you (or your students) should make an effort in your(their)selve(s). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Keneto1 · 2006-01-19 08:29 Actually, it's a very interesting argument. While Word is certainly not an IDE, it shares something in common with IDEs in that the editor is a basic "memo" into which human ideas are streamed... If you've ever used Word in combination with Excel to create automated forms with labels that pull from a SQL database and print into Avery labels, you know what I'm talking about. Assume Microsoft was to hide the "new" button deep in a menu under "tools | mail merge | new project". I would expect in this case that my students would have trouble creating a simple letter. Not a big deal though... in the field they are trainig to go into (eg programming) they better get used to not everything having a wizard. As you say, it'll teach them structured thinking.