Two basic features I have wondered about for a long time

[kroka]

I have just written a book on learning to create your own apps with LiveCode (in German). It will be available on the German book market 28th of november (biggest German computer publisher, Rheinwerk Verlag).
I hope I can spread some of my enthusiasm for LiveCode to the German community, because LiveCode is practically unkown in Germany - until now.

Working with the course and explaining how easy it is, people who tested the book asked me a lot of questions. Two things came up several times and I just wanted to share them:

1. The Project Manager is a very important tool. You need it all the time. Still it keeps disapppearing and it is always annoying to get it back through the menu. Why is there no keyboard command for opening the project manager? (Or bringing it to the front) It would make life a lot easier.

2. Something that might have a reason, but anyway: When I type "if .... then" into the editor and press the RETURN-key. Why is "end if" not appearing automatically as it happens with "end repeat" oder "end function" for example? Especially for beginners this would help a lot, because they keep forgetting the "end if" but also experienced programmers would save time. Of course we are used to it - but it doesn't seem logical.

Regards

Kroka

[AndyP]

Hi Kroka,

Good luck with the book..will try to get a copy.

I have been living in Germany for the last 5 years and OH yes .. mention LiveCode and receive a blank response, although I have been spreading the word in my area.

Where are you based?

Both very valid observations.

Why not add them to the Quality Control Center as enhancements?

http://quality.livecode.com/

[Mikey]

The second one is part of a larger SE wishlist, which includes having macros in the SE, which would make some of these things happen, as well.

[bn]

Hi Kroka,

regarding 2

please keep in mind the many valid IF forms

e.g

if a then
doSomething
else put a

or

if a then
doSomething
else if d then put c

these are two that are perfectly acceptable. Livecode does not know which form you will choose. Not all "if xxx then" ends with "end if".

this is working code

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   local a
   put "false" into a
   
   if a then 
      doSomething
   else put a
   
   wait 500 milliseconds
   
   local c
   put "this is c" into c
   local d
   put true into d
   
   
   if a then
      doSomething
   else if d then put c
   
end mouseUp

Kind regards
Bernd

[kroka]

Yes, I know about that. Still this would be an exception using a one-line else-statement. In more than 90% of the normal cases you would need an "end if". Anyway it would be nice to be able to manually configure these auto-options for the editor in sowme way.

[Mikey]

All the more reason why a macro function would be nice to have.

[jacque]

If the line is short I often do this:

Code: Select all

if a then doSomething

And yeah, macros would solve the problem. I have a few in a frontscript that I've been using for years but it would be nice to have it built-in.