On 7/15/2014 5:04 PM, Vernon Hamberg wrote:
Hi Buck
I have to reply on the use of the outline.
If you want to find a procedure, I see at least 3 ways to do it -
1. Ctrl-F, type in proc name, Alt-A to get them all, then find the
procedure itself
2. Right-click and filter by procedures, then find it and click on the
plus sign to open it
3. Go to the outline, open the procedures item, click on the one you
want and you are there
Assuming I'm looking for a procedure named PROC1, this works great:
findText regularExpression d.*proc1.*pi
Now that I've found it, I might Ctrl-2 to open a second editor pane.
Now I can scroll around the calculations and keep the PI right in front
of my eyes. The idea being that I don't have to keep mousing over to
the Outline to click (and jump) here, then click (and jump) there - it's
always 'there'. I tried jumping around with the Outline when I needed
to change a DS and I could not find a rhythm.
The crazy part about this is that I spent 20 years flipping through
green bar printouts to find things like this. You'd think it would be
an easy transition to use an Outline, but I... I think I'm mouse-phobic
or something!
All are good ways to do it - the outline adds things like where
something is used - similar to #1, where you'll see all references to
something
Ish. I created the following brand new source member to test my memory:
0100 /copy qrpglesrc,stdhspec
0200 FTRC IP E DISK
0300
0400 // break out the first 8 bytes for comparison
0500 dcl-ds *n;
0600 UADDR1 char(30);
0700 UADR8 char(8) pos(1);
0800 end-ds;
0900
1000 if uadr8 = *blanks;
1100 dsply uaddr1;
1200 endif;
The Outline View shows this:
Data Structures
*n
UADDR1
11 (M)
UADR8
10
Fields
UADDR1
11 (M)
UADR8
10
The compiler cross reference shows this:
Field References (D=Defined M=Modified)
UADDR1 000600D 2000012M 001100
UADR8 000700D 001000
When I tried to click on the Files section I got a 'press Refresh'
notice. Even though I DO have the 'Update Outline View' preference
enabled. [1] So I did. Now here's what the Outline View looks like:
Files
TRC
ULTI
UADDR1
6 (D)
11 (M)
Data Structures
*n
UADDR1
2 (D)
11 (M)
UADR8
10
Fields
UADDR1
2 (D)
11 (M)
UADR8
10
I appreciate that I can use the Outline to drill down into a file and
see what fields are coming in to the program, but I'm not sure that I
appreciate seeing one set of 'references' under 'Files' and another,
different set under 'Fields'.
Clicking on the field name does different things depending on which
section of the Outline I'm in. In Files, I'm taken to the F-spec. The
utility of that completely escapes me, and I have a good imagination. I
just drilled down from the File to the Record Format to the Field and
the Outline wants to take me to the F-spec. OK, so... don't click that
field name.
Clicking on the field name in Fields or Data Structures takes me to the
other definition line, the Data Structure. Which makes sense, but why
isn't the implied definition made explicit in the list of references?
outline also gives you direct view of fields in files and of keys and
keylists and data structures and all - I find it invaluable.
HTH
It does help, Vern. I think I myself find the value proposition much
higher when I'm in exploratory mode - looking at some monstrous thing
I've never seen before and I'm trying to suss out what's what.
--buck
[1] As a programmer, I very much understand that there's a technical
distinction between fields in the edit buffer and fields in the 'Files
cache'. The point is that even with 'update Outline View' enabled, you
need to remember to refresh if you've added or removed files. Is there
anything else? Auto-copy members?
On 7/15/2014 3:56 PM, Buck Calabro wrote:
On 7/15/2014 4:08 PM, Koester, Michael wrote:
Thanks for that suggestion, Buck.
Curious though -- is the evolution of RDi so great between WDSc and
today that many of the preferences from then don't fit today? I'm
anticipating that some (or many?) preference labels may have
different names now?
With the greatest respect for the team, RDi is very similar to WDSC,
especially if you are an RPG/DSPF/CL programmer like me.
I don't do any webbish work, so there may be some wonderful stuff there
that I just never had a need for. This bears repeating: the way that I
work, I may never use a feature that others simply cannot live without.
The Outline View comes immediately to mind. I just can't seem to find
the value proposition. The point isn't that it's bad; it's just not the
way I work.
I hope that others jump in and add comments about post-WDSC features
they really like. It'll do me good to give some stuff a whirl too!
--buck
midrange.com
