[Lazarus] New compiler options page "Additions and Overrides"

Hans-Peter Diettrich DrDiettrich1 at aol.com
Sat Jun 8 13:19:43 CEST 2013


+1

At least there should exist a Lazarus version for beginners, that allows 
to e.g. evaluate Lazarus/FPC without studying usage instructions for a 
long time.

Don't forget the audience that should *start* using Lazarus, what's 
their background (previously used IDE...).

DoDi


Michael Van Canneyt schrieb:
> 
> 
> On Sat, 8 Jun 2013, Mattias Gaertner wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, 7 Jun 2013 20:31:16 +0300
>> Juha Manninen <juha.manninen62 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 4:40 PM, Mattias Gaertner
>>> <nc-gaertnma at netcologne.de> wrote:
>>>> And what if paths differ?
>>>> Don't get me wrong: Adding a directory to a path in all search modes is
>>>> a needed feature. I'm just not convinced that an <All build modes> view
>>>> is the right way. For simple values like boolean and integer it 
>>>> works in
>>>> the Object Inspector and it will probably work in the compiler
>>>> options as well. But I doubt that it works for non atomic values
>>>> like search paths.
>>>
>>> Uhhh...  It requires some kind of grid GUI again with paths split into
>>> rows and build modes in columns with selection checkboxes, and that
>>> would be only for one path setting (like Include files).
>>
>> Well, that would be a very flexible solution.
>> But that is only useful for power users. All others would suffer. So,
>> maybe we have to provide a normal and an expert view.
>> Same for the custom options: Some need a simple memo, others need
>> a matrix.
> 
> If I may chip in, defending the normal users:
> 
> I can see why you're making this new page.
> 
> But this new page only makes sense when you use different build modes:
> For build modes, I think it is an elegant solution that lets you see in 
> one glance, what options are used in the various modes.
> 
> But build modes I consider something that only experts or powerusers 
> will use, those who do many builds for different targets/platforms.
> 
> The normal, casual user does not need this.
> 
> The additional specification of 'where the option is stored' is 
> powerful, but adds yet another layer of complexity, another source of 
> misunderstandings, and necessitates almost a dialog 'where did this or 
> that option come from'.
> The additional option of 'to what to apply an option': same thing.
> 
> However, for the casual user, this is complete overkill.
> 
> For a casual user, the 'old' interface is clear, simple and accessible.
> There is no doubt where an option came from. All options are clearly 
> visible.
> (OK, you may need to look on which page it is located)
> 
> For those options that have no support in the IDE, the custom options 
> memo is there.
> Please do not remove it. For example, I never understood why there is no 
> support for managing "defines" in the IDE, so I must resort to using that.
> 
> I am writing this email because I am afraid the lazarus devs may get 
> 'carried away' and elevate the idea of build modes to a status where it 
> dominates the options UI.
> 
> The point is that they make the UI more difficult to understand.
> 
> Hence my plea: For a casual user, build modes are an unnecessary burden. 
> Do not build the entire compiler options management around it.
> 
> I can see why you want them, I can see their use. But please make sure 
> you don't push them onto people that have no need for it,
> because it no matter how useful, they do make things more complicated to 
> use.
> 
> That said, I think the new page is a better idea than the solution 
> Delphi used, which - for a casual user - is simply horrible to 
> understand and there is no way to get rid of it in Delphi.
> 
> Please do not make the same mistake.
> 
> Michael.
> 
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