<div dir="ltr">That is an AWESOME idea...<br><br>I'd love to have a bit more information that just the syntax, (which doesn't always even fit into the box that pops up) but I don't know how one would modify the pop-up to do it...<br>
<br>Maybe only show the comment once you've settled on a specific command/variable... and then make it popup as a hint?<br><br>It would be really cool if it could work for both variables and functions/procedures.<br><br>
Regards,<br>-Reenen<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM, Tom Verhoeff <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:T.Verhoeff@tue.nl">T.Verhoeff@tue.nl</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
I would like to throw up a suggestion for extending the editor's hinting<br>
functionality.<br>
<br>
We use Lazarus in a first-year introductory programming course.<br>
One of the rules in our coding standard is that every variable<br>
declaration needs to be accompanied by an explanatory comment.<br>
<br>
It would be nice if the editor could show the comment associated with the<br>
variable's declaration when you enter/point at an occurrence of that variable.<br>
<br>
This resembles the functionality where you get the routine prototype<br>
when entering/pointing at a routine invocation.<br>
<br>
Of course, this could apply to other names as well (constants, types,<br>
routines). In fact, for routines, the prototype only shows you the<br>
_syntactic_ specifics of that routine. _Semantic_ specifics are typically<br>
addressed in a comment.<br>
<br>
It might be necessary to use a special marker (cf. Javadoc) to<br>
help the editor recognize such comments-to-be-used-for-hinting.<br>
<br>
This functionality would further increase the value of adding comments<br>
to definitions and declarations.<br>
<br>
By the way, I hired a student (Thorstin Crijns) to do some work on<br>
improving Lazarus for educational use. This should benefit all Lazarus<br>
users, both aspiring beginners and experienced users.<br>
<br>
You'll be hearing more from Thorstin in the future.<br>
<br>
I have asked him to start with the built-in help facility and<br>
documentation. Other items on the list are the built-in debugger support,<br>
and template support. Editor features could be another thing, but he<br>
will need more help there.<br>
<br>
Best regards,<br>
<br>
Tom Verhoeff<br>
--<br>
E-MAIL: T.Verhoeff @ <a href="http://TUE.NL" target="_blank">TUE.NL</a> | Dept. of Math. & Comp. Science<br>
PHONE: +31 40 247 41 25 | Technische Universiteit Eindhoven<br>
FAX: +31 40 247 54 04 | PO Box 513, NL-5600 MB Eindhoven<br>
<a href="http://www.win.tue.nl/%7Ewstomv/" target="_blank">http://www.win.tue.nl/~wstomv/</a> | The Netherlands<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>o__<br>,_.>/ _<br>(_)_\(_)_______<br>...speed is good<br>_______________<br>I believe five out of four people have a problem with fractions.<br>
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