[Lazarus] Code-completion on erroneous code [0008663: codetools behaviour / attn: Benito]

[Mattias Gaertner]

On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:19:48 +0100
Martin <lazarus at mfriebe.de> wrote:

> This is a follow up to http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=8663
> > 1) When the code contains a critical error, pressing Ctrl+Space the 
> > cursor moves to this point. I think it would be better just to mark 
> > the error (e.g line highlighting), because the error is due to the 
> > incompleteness of the code.
> So what should happen?
> 
> If the code indeed has an error, then it must be fixed. And 
> code-completion will not work until it has been fixed.
> 
> - If it was simply highlighted, then the user will (at some time)
> have to go there by hand. So that (imho) is less convenient.
>   And the position may not be in the visible area, so the user would
> not notice.
>   Or the user may have continues to type, that usually makes line 
> highlight disappear.
> - On the other hand, the current behaviour triggers an unexpected
> jump, and (for me) it always takes a second or two, to figure out
> what just happened.
> 
> So what other options are there? Ideas:
> - code tools display a drop-down, but it simply has an entry,
> pointing to the error. The entry can be selected (cursor-down-key;
> then enter) and you jump to the error location. Continue typing, or
> pressing escape would keep you at your current location.

Sounds reasonable. We should test how it works.


> - instead of a drop-down a hint could be shown
> - we could keep jumping to the error immediately (as current); but
> make some extra visible hint, what and why happened (display a hint / 
> highlight the word in red / if still within the visible area,
> highlight the original position too)

And maybe give a hint that you can jump back with Ctrl-h.

Mattias