I really appreciate the project functionality of BBedit. However, I'm not sure it's the optimal approach to the problem, and I just wanted to write up some thoughts I had on the subject.
First off, I usually use ad hoc projects, that is, simply opening a folder in BBedit. Only when I need to access material in other folders (and when they are not coordinates of the superordinate of the current folder) do I bother to construct a project file. This probably identifies me as a certain kind of user, however, there is no question in my mind that ad hoc projects are far more convenient than having to create a project file. Second, the use of the Vico application's “file explorer” has crystalized my thinking on this considerably. (Let me point out that Vico is not for everyone, since it assumes knowledge of vi-style keyboard usage. But that's not relevant to the point I'm trying to make here.) In Vico, there are no project files, only a panel that resembles BBedit's project panel in many ways. There are quite a few differences, most of which are irrelevant, but there are a couple of differences in the Vico file explorer that would make BBedit-style project files unnecessary, at least for me. Specifically, in Vico, symbolic links and Finder aliases that point to folders are treated as folders, complete with the expand/compress navigation triangle. Therefore, in order to get the functionality of BBedit project files, where many different files and folders from across the file system can be combined together into a single project, in Vico, you simply create Finder aliases or symbolic links in a project folder, and then just work on the entire project by opening that folder. Why is this better? Well, mostly because BBedit project files are opaque as far as the rest of the system is concerned. You can't use them except in BBedit: for example, to navigate in Finder or in Terminal. On my system, I often use the Path Finder alternative Finder, and it also treats aliases and symbolic links that point to folders as folders; this gives me complete Finder-like access to every Vico-style project, but not to BBedit-style projects. Finder itself is not quite so friendly, you have to actually open (double-click) on a symbolic link or alias to follow it, but even that is much more than you can do with a BBedit project file. Another useful thing that is impossible with BBedit projects, but is possible with these symlink/alias style ones, is, via a Dock extender like Quay, to create a hierarchy of projects, including various sets of links for “current” projects pointing into the full archival structure, and then put it on the dock. Since Quay handles symlinks & aliases “correctly”, like Vico and Path Finder, you can navigate all of your projects right from the Dock, something that would be unthinkable using BBedit project files (note that not even BBedit can navigate through project files appearing in BBedit's Project panel). It may be true that there are relatively infrequent (for me!) capabilities of BBedit project files that I am simply skipping, involving things I don't use such as CVS or Subversion, and files accessed via URLs. I don't know, and I'd appreciate knowing about them, especially if there is no equally convenient way to replicate them via (Path) Finder. Anyway, if BBedit were to enhance the Project Panel by giving it the ability to navigate via symbolic links and Finder aliases, it would make it much less likely that I would ever need a system-opaque BBedit project file, and it would make using BBedit much more friendly for me. I don't really see a downside of this for BBedit users, especially of it were implemented as an option, without changing anything at all about how projects are currently handled. I'd like to know what other BBedit users think about this. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "BBEdit Talk" discussion group on Google Groups. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at <http://groups.google.com/group/bbedit?hl=en> If you have a feature request or would like to report a problem, please email "[email protected]" rather than posting to the group. Follow @bbedit on Twitter: <http://www.twitter.com/bbedit>
