Macro, Wizard and Customizing

[Patrick]

First off let me congratulate you. It looks like your program, WeBuilder, manages to drag me away from HomeSite, a program I've used for more years then I care to remember. Very well done.

But....

Having become somewhat of a poweruser in that program I'm accustomed to be able to rapidly customize my development environment to suit the work I'm doing.
Now, don't get me wrong, I find WeBuilders abillity to deal with CSS/PHP/ASP/JavaScript/etc, seemingly indiscriminately, really astonioshing. It's defenetly one of the things that made me even consider the switch.

But it stops there. And there Im starting to miss things..
Please don't consider the next list a "have this in your next version or else..", I can totally understand some of this stuff to be rather hard to implement when it's not part of the/a designprocess...

First some minor stuff:
- when setting a new keyboard shortcut an [override current] button would REALLY be nice in the 'shortcut allready exists' dialouge
- datestamp/timestamp/project and author details as replacement tokens (in library)
- when there's multiple tokens place them in one dialouge palette
- on multiple same tokens only prompt once and replace all instances
- abillity to:
--- change the image of any given button,
--- add buttons to text-only taskbar entries
--- 'clone' menu items, as opposed to copying them; a cloned version can be changed without also changing the parent item (as is now the case)

Wizards;
create your own wizards. Add replacement tokens to a template file, use an XML kindof format to build the wizard dialouge palettes,

Macro's
create your own subroutines, either through a macro-recorder or js/javascripting. I haven't got a clue what your plans are surrounding this. When looking for a post with similair ideas I only found one where the response was hinting there would be macro-recording in V. 2006, I'm pretty sure it ain't there (edit: I'm an idot, 2006 ain't there either.. )
Nevertheless, to be able to extend on the allready existing interface with my own scripts is defenetly something I miss...

Expression/SQL builder.
I saw you had a poll up for something like this but I still thought to add it here..
What would be really interesting in the sense of tolls-of-the-trade are little wizard-like scripts that help you in building regular expressions and SQL queries. I can imagine the regexp builder would tie in with one or other library, based on the current filetype/scriptsetting (php/javascript/etc) whereas the sql-builder ties in with a database engine..
Even if the latter isn't available this shouldn't stop the SQL builder: if the developer knows the fields he/she needs then there's no direct need for that. Even something that helps speed up building simple queries would be nice..


Again, I'm rather satisfied with the program as it is but I DO think more of these customisation options would really benefit the program.

[chrisAdams]

I have used macro languages in other text editors that use the clipboard contents as a 'replacement tokens.' This means that complex routines (looping through an array) can be accomplished with a keystroke:

eg: clipboard contents=myArray

becomes (for php):

Code: Select all

$myArrayCounter=0;
$myArrayCount=count($myArray);
while ($myArrayCounter<$myArrayCount)
{
// $myArray[$myArrayCounter]


$myArrayCounter++;
}


being able to use the same input in more than one place would be almost as good.

other editors have used some sort of <over my head>keystroke emulation</over my head> to activate menu functions, find and replace, saves, and so on.

Thanks for a good product!