The greatest code editor feature of all time

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by Photon

I'm for a more open approach. How far would an "execute commandline/script from within the editor" take me, you think?

For integration? Not that far. Even CygnusEd has a full Arexx port, and FrexxEd also has it's own script system (FPL, basically just C). For good integration I'd say you'd need an Arexx port (needed anyway), script system (Lua perhaps), and maybe a built-in assembler output parser. It would also be nice to have the ability to assemble and link only changed files (can be done with a script system).

[bubbob42]

Great project, Photon!

Most killer features have already been mentioned. Syntax highlighting should be user expandable, so we can add support for other languages ourselves. You are targeting Asm coding, but don't forget us poor guys who code C mixed with Asm - the damn brackets must fall into place.

I'm using only Amiga editors for coding Amiga software and got used to SE from the SASC-package, which has syntax highlighting but also many flaws. My favourite editor for programming under windows is notepad++. What I miss dearly on the Amiga is zooming the text step by step with the press of a hotkey. I'm short sighted, been always using high resolutions under AmigaOS even on classic machines and for some bugs, the font cannot be large enough.

I'm looking forward to your project and would like to support it further!

Best regards,

Marcus

[Michael]

A larger sized screen and a clean 16+ pixel font should be big enough ;-)

[Leffmann]

A simple project overview with your current files listed, like you have in most larger IDEs.

Originally Posted by Photon

I'm for a more open approach. How far would an "execute commandline/script from within the editor" take me, you think? With a parameter for the currently edited file that you can pass. You'd add " > CON:" if they don't open their own screens.

Originally Posted by Thorham

For integration? Not that far. Even CygnusEd has a full Arexx port, and FrexxEd also has it's own script system (FPL, basically just C). For good integration I'd say you'd need an Arexx port (needed anyway), script system (Lua perhaps), and maybe a built-in assembler output parser. It would also be nice to have the ability to assemble and link only changed files (can be done with a script system).

Actually, executing a simple command line works great, because you would just call GNU Make or SAS/C Make on a make-script that automates your whole build process.

[Mrs Beanbag]

something really obvious missing from so much Amiga software...

UNDO BUFFER

you probably already thought of that, though

[bubbob42]

Originally Posted by Leffmann

Actually, executing a simple command line works great, because you would just call GNU Make or SAS/C Make on a make-script that automates your whole build process.

Nah, you want an Arexx port so you can jump directly to the locations where SASCMsg reports errors/warnings

[bubbob42]

Originally Posted by Michael

A larger sized screen and a clean 16+ pixel font should be big enough ;-)

My screen is definitely large, but scaling text on the fly is a nice feature you will quickly get used to.

[IFW]

Here is one:
- add Amiga specific support with IntelliSense etc. to Visual Studio.
It's perfectly possible to have a fully working custom platform from VS2013 or later - we have that for PS4. There is a free VS SDK that allows full customization, platform generation, etc.
I might even consider doing some Amiga coding again then - and I am sure I wouldn't be the only one
Second best option would be Eclipse, but that's Java code which I guess you wouldn't want to touch...

[Mrs Beanbag]

for a mc68k editor, parse lines for syntax errors on the fly

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by IFW

- add Amiga specific support with IntelliSense etc. to Visual Studio.

I think the point of this is to make an Amiga editor.

[Leffmann]

Originally Posted by bubbob42

Nah, you want an Arexx port so you can jump directly to the locations where SASCMsg reports errors/warnings

I don't see why the two would exclude each other. Removing the ability to run system commands from the editor immediately makes it much less flexible and extensible.

[xaind]

I find the multiple-selections / multiple-cursors features of TextMate and Sublime Text to be incredibly useful.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by Leffmann

I don't see why the two would exclude each other. Removing the ability to run system commands from the editor immediately makes it much less flexible and extensible.

They're not mutually exclusive, but only having the ability to execute dos scripts and commands is certainly too limited.

Anyway, the only reason for me to switch editors on the Amiga is something like Intellisense in addition to full programability and proper syntax coloring.

I use FrexxEd, and that editor is VERY hard to beat (it's almost completely programmable). It's certainly under-configured out of the box, not to mention that the authors made some bad setup choices, but my current setup isn't anything like the original config. The only real drawback of FrexxEd is that the syntax coloring system is limited and fiddly, plus some small things, but it's open source and compiles with SASC, so it shouldn't be too hard to fix.

Anyone who wants to write the best text editor for the Amiga should definitely read through the FrexxEd documentation.

[bubbob42]

Originally Posted by Leffmann

I don't see why the two would exclude each other. Removing the ability to run system commands from the editor immediately makes it much less flexible and extensible.

They don't - it would be good to have both, actually.

Another thing: I also like the "have multiple windows providing different views of the same file"-option of the Devpac 3 editor.

[TheDarkCoder]

My favorite ones:
- Amiga-style (as other said, as shift+arrow to go to begin/end of line)
- multiple clipboards
- multiple views of the same file (preferrably each view in its own window)
- syntax highlight
- light and fast
- simple installation, preferably just one exe, not like GoldED which seems a Windows program
- just my preference: I am not a big fan of extreme customability or programmability: just make it plain and simple

just my 2c

[meynaf]

As i am the only one using the old good MEMacs from AmigaDOS, perhaps you need to know the features i like in it :
- Ability to run several instances of the editor, each with its own independent copy-paste buffer, while keeping the ability to use the system's clipboard when needed.
- Set a mark somewhere and quickly return to that mark while marking the old point as the new mark, so you can alternate very quickly between any two pos. This is "swap dot&mark".
- Search-replace able to search and replace control chars as well (e.g. newlines).
- Macro support (i.e. record a series of key presses).
- Insert a file at some point in the source.
- Transpose option (ctrl-T) ; swaps the two chars under the cursor. Fixes many typos by one keypress.
- Search backward (= previous instance).
- Query search-replace : ask for each instance what to do (replace this one, skip this one, replace all, cancel at that point).
- Goto line : ask for which line number to get to.
- Move to next word, to previous word.
- Duplicate line with F1, kill line with F2 (and get back that killed line with normal paste option).
- Kill to end of line with ctrl-k or shift-del.
- Line-to-top shortcut.
- Normal intuition screen which you can drag and grab any time.
- Rename current file - but only the file you will write when saving, not the actual file on disk.

Other useful features :
- Automatic line wrap which can be turned on and off.
- Configurable shortcut keys in a saved configuration file.
- Remove start of line with shift-backspace.
- Ability to temporarily change the color brightness of the screen (for editing both by night and when the sun appears at the outside window you're facing).
- Hex edit mode as well as text edit (IIRC UltraEdit does that).
- Conversion of strange/stupid text formats like CR+LF, UTF-8, etc (UltraEdit does that too).
- Ability to DISABLE automatic syntax/spell checking, should there be one.
- Incremental search like in some PC editors.
- And, of course, an editor that is faaaaaast, stable, and doesn't take heaps of mem !

[Thorham]

To meynaf:

FrexxEd can do most of that, and what it can't do you can add with a simple script, but it's not the fastest editor out there (needs expanded machine).

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

To meynaf:

FrexxEd can do most of that, and what it can't do you can add with a simple script, but it's not the fastest editor out there (needs expanded machine).

I don't want "most", i want "all", and faster than any editor needing an expanded machine.

[Zetr0]

Originally Posted by meynaf

I don't want "most", i want "all", and faster than any editor needing an expanded machine.

As we all know Thorham, our meynaf never compromises on code!

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Zetr0

As we all know Thorham, our meynaf never compromises on code!

... and likes code which is available for free which is not the case of FrexxEd (registration needed for full features).