Feature Request: Select Preview Area, Highlight Related Code

[CaliforniaJerry]

WeBuilder v9.5.2.106
(I'm running Windows XP)

When you "Select an Area" in the internal Preview frame (or Split window), I'd like to be able see "Highlighted" (selected) the text in the source code that is producing it. The reverse should also happen, when I select text in the source code, I should be able to see where in the Preview frame that code is being rendered, it should be highlighted (shaded, or outlined).

I realize this requires different functionality than a simple browser instance for preview, but it is a feature I've come to expect from a web development tool. (see Dreamweaver, Kompozer, etc.) The point of having an IDE is to have it "all" integrated into one application. I'd rather not have to run Kompozer just so I can correlate code to it's rendered area.

I'll be interested to hear what your comments are about this. Or, is this already on the 'to do' list for the 2010 version?

Please also refer to my 14 Ultimate Feature Requests.

[syrupcore]

I think this feature is a bit like training wheels. :) once you let go, it feels great!

I too had to overcome this when transitioning from dreamweaver but once I did, my code got better. I still 'sorta' do it. http://forums.blumentals.net/viewtopic. ... 081#p14081

[CaliforniaJerry]

I suppose by "training wheels" you mean the WYSIWYG editor? (or did you mean something else?) That's not what I'm referring to, since except maybe for creating tables, I don't use that. Preview-to-code correlation is useful when I'm debugging a page that isn't behaving right. It allows me to click on that portion in the rendered page and go immediately to the code. I use it when I'm trying to figure out a new Wordpress theme that someone else wrote, and where in the code I need to make changes. Also, when debugging Wordpress, I'll take the source code from the actual page, paste it into the editor, and debug it in the preview screen while referencing the code. I'll then search "in files" to find the actual file that's generating that code.

[xtom]

I'd love some form of this functionality also. Rather than scroll through and scrutinise lots of code to find what you want to edit, it's much quicker to see it in the preview. If when you select something in the preview it just positioned the cursor close to the relevant code it would be a huge time saver.