[Lazarus] Configure "Build Lazarus" was weird but no more...

Phil Hess macpgmr at fastermac.net
Mon Dec 14 23:13:28 CET 2009


I would tend to agree with Dimitry and lose the Hide/Show Details behavior. At the very least, Save Settings should be moved to the details sections - otherwise, what settings is it referring to when the details section is hidden - nothing is shown above that could be considered a setting. And is it "details" or "settings" - seems like they refer to the same thing, so maybe use the same term.

Dimitry also touches on something else to consider, which is the relationship between this dialog and the package build dialog. With most packages, if you look at the compiler options, it will show, for example, "default (win32/win64)". This is misleading if not outright wrong. The only thing that matters is what widgetset is selected on the configure build dialog. So if somebody compiles the LCL with a different widgetset and forgets to set it back to the correct default, the next time the IDE is built from the package dialog it will use the wrong widgetset.

Also, which "profile" will be used when the IDE is rebuilt from the package dialog?

The "Clean all" and "With packages" boxes have always confused me. Either I don't understand what they do (i.e., non intuitive labels) or else they don't work or don't behave as expected. Maybe you could just either eliminate these or present them with labels that are intuitive.

And maybe call it "Build Profiles" to be clear?

Thanks.

-Phil



----- "dmitry boyarintsev" <skalogryz.lists at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 11:51 PM, Juha Manninen
> <juha.manninen at phnet.fi> wrote:
> > IMO this combobox is better than the original 2 tab-pages. This way
> you get
> > visual feedback of the changes. The original tab-control was just
> non-
> > intuitive.
> AFAIK, 2 tabs are actually 2 independent build options dialog.
> Settings on one tab won't effect another tab... Personally I never
> used "Quick build options"
> 
> > What if someone wants to define and save new build options?
> > That was the idea of my configurable build profiles.
> On the current Adv.Build.Dlg there's a button bellow "Save settings".
> It just stores the build options globally, so it's possible to store
> configuration without building.
> 
> Maybe 3 additional buttons can be added: "Save", "Save As" and
> "Delete", to manage custom settings. (i.e. next to the combobox)
> And "Save settings" are renamed to "Close". The button closes the
> dialog silently stores the latest build options as default. On the
> next dialog opening the last "closed" or "built" options are shown.
> 
> IMHO: There's no need in saving/storing additional build options.
> Storing the last saved (or built) options is enough (It is now);
> 
> > There is one problem with your solution though: It shows all the
> controls all
> > the time. The original idea with Quick Build Selections was to hide
> the
> > "advanced" options. My solution has a "Hide Details" button for
> that.
> And that's what i don't like about your idea. I see no reason in
> "Hide" or "Show" details at all.
> 
> a) IDE developers would always use show details (to control components
> rebuilt).
> b) Even if they don't change them, they can always be sure about what
> will be rebuilt.
> c) The usual Lazarus user, would never use this dialog (i.e.
> installing a package rebuilds the IDE without showing the dialog)
> d) If a user ever needs the building dialog, he/she would be
> interested in the "details" anyway (simple human curiosity)
> e) It would be easier to explain a user how to use the build dialog,
> if the dialog is single-step, rather than 2 steps (the main form and
> the details)
> f) There's no other dialog in the IDE that uses "hide/show details"
> style. Every dialog in the IDE, even overloaded with controls, shows
> all possible options at once.
> 
> Once again: I'm not the one to reject or accept your patch. I'm just
> sharing my thoughts and I'm NOT telling that "hide/show" is bad idea
> at all.
> 
> thanks,
> dmitry
> 
> --
> _______________________________________________
> Lazarus mailing list
> Lazarus at lists.lazarus.freepascal.org
> http://lists.lazarus.freepascal.org/mailman/listinfo/lazarus




More information about the Lazarus mailing list