Panels always on top in RapidPHP

[Hans Meiser]

I only noticed it recently, but now it's just annoying: The panels are switched to always on top for unknown reasons. Only if you call up another (or the same) layout, it stops. But not always and reliably. I think we've been through this before. Please fix it urgently, it's really just annoying. I use the "Dark Theme" (v15.2.0.204).

And BTW while I'm at it: The matter with the cursor is still not fixed, since 4 years ...

Easier document navigation:
After testing Rapid PHP on some documents, I found, that the CTRL + arrows left/right and arrows up/down are behaving a bit odd for editing.
The unpleasent one is CTRL + arrow right: the cursor skips variables (and some words, too), stopping at the end instead on the beginning (but CTRL + arrow left stops on the start). So, when quickly navigating to an variable or word, one has always to reverse one step in order to alter the (complete) variable or has to slow down way before and arrow-right to the position. It also skips quotes (double and single) and commas, going behind them instead infront of them.
This is quite annoying as no editor normaly does this.
Sometimes, when going from closed brackets upward it skips the whole enclosure. This is annoying, when one wants to edit the last line(s) before the closing bracket. It happens mostly in CSS files as far as I could see.
Maybe these are just bugs, but I don't think so.

To make it (again) more clear, consider this code snippet:

Code: Select all

	// Page title control ----------------------------------------------------------------
	$_title_seperator = " | ";
	$_siteName = 		"Sitename";
	$_titleSuffix = 	$_title_seperator.$_siteName;

Now place the cursor on the first line and then CTRL + right through it.
The placement of the cursor is always _after_ the next character. It's like (_ = cursor):

Code: Select all

	//_ Page_ title_ control_ ----------------------------------------------------------------_
_	$_title_seperator_ =_ "_ |_ ";_
_	$_siteName_ =_ 		"Sitename";_
_	$_titleSuffix_ =_ 	$_title_seperator_._$_siteName;_

In comparison to i.e. Notepad++, that does it the correct way and put the cursor _before_ the next characters:

Code: Select all

	_// _Page _title _control _----------------------------------------------------------------_
	_$__title_seperator _= _"_| _";_
	_$__siteName _= 		_"_Sitename_";_
	_$__titleSuffix _= 	_$__title_seperator_.$__siteName_;_

See, how it also stops behind the Dollar-Sign and inbetween quotes?
This is the normal and expected behaviour of the cursor when CTRL + right/left. Heck, even this editor to write this message has this behaviour of stopping _before_ and not after the next characters.

So please, again after 4 years, make this possible and coding fun again.

[Aivars]

I can't reproduce the panels always on top issue. I would really like to fix it, could you please give me step-by-step?

Ctrl + arrow is done 2 ways in various editors and there is always one half of the users who are unhappy about it working the "wrong" way. One issue that I see immediately in this web browser's editor is that if you have placed a cursor at the beginning of the word and you hit ctrl + shift + right, you will select the word and also the trailing space, not just the full word. No matter, I'll bring it up in the next feature review, but I don't know if there is a way to do this without pissing off our user base or adding complexity to configuration.

[Hans Meiser]

Thanks for your feedback.

@reproduce:
Well ... step by step... Open RapidPHP, panels are displayed -> always on top. Nothing else has to be done. Only resetting via "Manage layouts" fixes it.
See the screenshot (image is cut off, select "view image" to see full resolution):

@CTRL - left/right
So, I don't think that there are "half" of the users. To be honest, I experienced the CTRL + left/right behavior of RapidPHP for the very first time, nowhere else. And I honestly can't imagine that there are so many people who feel this behaviour as "good" when they code seriously. If I have to go through code quickly to change small things, then my collar regularly bursts because it is so circumstantial and counterproductive. I can't do anything with it and I can't get used to it because it makes no sense for me.
And be honest: The reference to the trailing space is just an excuse. Because it doesn't really matter. Because if I already mark a whole string, then it is no circumstance or problem to set a space at the end again.
But because I am always willing to compromise anyway, there may be the possibility of incorporating this as an option in the preferences. That way, everyone could adjust as they like. That would be really great.

[Aivars]

Did you drag these panels outside the main application window on purpose? Move them back inside the main window to avoid the panels getting in your way.

Regarding selection of space, it's not just an excuse, I actually did some research before responding to you. Here's a good sample: https://www.sevenforums.com/customizati ... hange.html so this has to be considered. Adding preference thus complicating the configuration is not an option, we either change it for everyone or leave it as is. We'll definitely take your points into consideration but this is a big change so if we change this then only for the next major version.

[Hans Meiser]

Did you drag these panels outside the main application window on purpose?

Of course. As you can see in the screenshot, I use the primary (left) monitor for the main window and the panels on the secondary (right) monitor. In principle, just like any other program that has panels (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.).

Move them back inside the main window to avoid the panels getting in your way.

If I do that, I have to stretch the window to an "non-standard" size and this means that it is not fullscreen on the one hand and on the other hand that the size may always change during a restart. Which means moving around all the time after launching the programm. Isn't there another way to solve this? Just like other programs can?

Regarding selection of space, it's not just an excuse, I actually did some research before responding to you. Here's a good sample: https://www.sevenforums.com/customizati ... hange.html so this has to be considered.

I have read the example, but firstly the post is already four years old (well, that may not mean anything) and secondly it is not clear whether the OP has anything to do with programming or refers to programming at all. Of course there will be people who like this behavior, but as I said before, I can't understand it from a programmer's point of view, because it makes editing incredibly cumbersome. When I fly through a code to change some strings and have to type manually to the beginning of the string all the time, it's very tedious and annoying at the same time. Especially if the character length is sometimes longer.
And I would like to point out again that as good as _every_ program that works with text places the cursor on the beginning of an word or sting and not on the end of it. It's just like that and shouldn't be ignored. That's why I mentioned this already over 4 years ago.

Adding preference thus complicating the configuration is not an option, we either change it for everyone or leave it as is. We'll definitely take your points into consideration but this is a big change so if we change this then only for the next major version.

Thanks for the consideration. From your previous posting I thought I could read that this behavior could be on or off, true or false. Is it really so difficult that one cannot build a switch to be able to switch this behaviour on or off? Does this have to be fixedly defined?

[pmk65]

Adding preference thus complicating the configuration is not an option, we either change it for everyone or leave it as is. We'll definitely take your points into consideration but this is a big change so if we change this then only for the next major version.

Why not create an "Advanced option" Tab in the config settings and put the more special settings in there?
That often done in other programs with many settings. And would make everyone happy

[Hans Meiser]

Update:
As I mentioned, I use the "Dark Theme". It looks like some "skin" or something, not the usual window display.
Lately, I experienced some kind of "lagging" when editing some files. Meaning that sometimes the cursor won't move or what I typed in comes delayed for a second or two. When this happens, also most panels flash for a short time, like if they are refreshed of some sort (white out then back again).

Is this something known? Have others experienced this, too?
Anything new about the panels themself?

[pmk65]

Update:
As I mentioned, I use the "Dark Theme". It looks like some "skin" or something, not the usual window display.
Lately, I experienced some kind of "lagging" when editing some files. Meaning that sometimes the cursor won't move or what I typed in comes delayed for a second or two. When this happens, also most panels flash for a short time, like if they are refreshed of some sort (white out then back again).

Is this something known? Have others experienced this, too?
Anything new about the panels themself?

Yes. I have experienced the delay thing too. Editor become unresponsive for a couple seconds, and then returns. Don't think it's related to the interface style, as Im using "Flat Gray".

Usually happens when I type a "(" like "this.getSchemaOfOptions()". then it hangs with the cursor between the () brackets.

[Hans Meiser]

OK, "Flat Dark" seems to be the only independent theme from all other themes that uses it's own "skinning". Because before the update I used the "normal" themes without problems, so I thought this delaying is related to the "new" theming.
I really like the darkness, so it would also be be nice to have a "Classic Flat Dark" theme, which uses the skinning of the other themes. Just to have options.

[Hans Meiser]

*UPDATE for v15.3*
It seems now the panel problem has been fixed, they are not "always on top" anymore as far as I can tell for now. Many thanks for that.
But the "delay and flicker" mentioned above is still there. Any info on that?

[Aivars]

Please try to isolate the freezing issue to some specific project and/or code so that I can reproduce the issue. If I could break during the freeze, I could see where it gets stuck and fix it. I haven't had this issue myself, that's why I'm asking for some code for debugging. Thanks.