Dennis - I've gone down these editor paths in the past. I'm not sure that you'll come to the same conclusion, but I'll tell you what I found and perhaps it will be of help
At various times I've tried the following for AFL dev - Textpad EditPad UltraEdit Notepad++ Textpad is an editor that I still use with another backtest package. But, I looked at the other three for a while for use with AB. UltraEdit held the most promise because of its scripting capability potentially driving AB, but seemed a little costly. Notepad++ is a good open source alternative, but can be quirky. Lots of add-ins, though. My main motivation was similar to yours - projects with a number of include files.. I also find code folding VERY useful in seeing the "big picture", and that was the main reason that I invested time in trying Notepad++. In the end, though, I always seem to come back to the AFL editor for all but very large tasks. To use a carpentry analogy of something that I was fixing today, if I just want to make a notch for the strike plate of a door lockset, I don't need to drag out a precision router - a hammer and chisel will do. I imagine that Tomasz has eventual plans move toward a mini - integrated dev environment. He probably wants to keep conrol of the editor. In principle, though, I agree that I'd like to see him open up AB more to things like that. BTW, if you really want the AFL syntax XML file for Notepad++, I'll post it, but consider that Notepad++ will have a learning time investment. -- Bruce R --- In [email protected], Dennis Brown <se...@...> wrote: > > Thank you all for the quick an helpful suggestions. It will take me a > bit to explore them all. > > Only using a virtual PC for AmiBroker, and using a Mac for everything > else, I was unfamiliar with all the possible good solutions suggested, > and most are free. I looked at the websites of each suggested > product. Notepad++ is interesting as an open source editor with many > features I have seen requested for the Formula editor. It would be > interesting to see something like this directly adapted for use with > AFL (including all the syntax coloring). Perhaps this has already > been done? > > It seems that it would be far easier to support this editor as a > standard for advanced users than beg TJ to spend valuable development > time adding the same features into the Formula editor. Since it is > open source, perhaps TJ or another C++ wizard could just add the > specific Formula editor stuff into a custom version of Notepad++ (or > visa versa for TJ). > > Herman you have asked for TJ to open up the formula editor for add- > ons, and add features like syntax folding, etc. This would be the > ultimate for add-ons with open source. > > Ok, I am off to download and try things out for a while. Suggested > programs: > > Ultraedit > Textcrawler > TexRep > Notepad ++ > Regular Expressions > EditPad Pro > Custom JScript > > Thanks again, > Dennis > > > On Feb 19, 2009, at 11:46 PM, Dennis Brown wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > I have my system broken into about 30 include files now. Now I must > > get around a problem that is one of the reasons I resisted using many > > includes for so long --editing the same content across all includes. > > > > Let's say that I decide I want to change the name of a variable to a > > more descriptive name -- like RibSel to RibSelMenuOpen. If everything > > is one file, I just search and replace every one. However, if the > > locations are spread across some unknown number of my include files, > > how do I manage to do this operation simply? > > > > The task is made harder because the formula editor search dialog data > > does not transfer to another open formula editor file. Currently I am > > finding myself opening each include and pasting the search name over > > again, and typing in the changed name again. Very time consuming > > considering how many variables I change the names of after I get > > something working. I make something work with short names then clean > > up the final code with self documenting names when I can think of a > > better name. > > > > How do others solve this problem? > > > > Best regards, > > Dennis >
