[Lazarus] New user interface for future major releases of Lazarus

[Hans-Peter Diettrich]

Felipe Ferreira da Silva schrieb:
>           I would like to propose and discuss about a new graphical user 
> interface for the next major releases. Nowadays, most of the RAD tools 
> use a docked interface(MonoDevelop, Delphi, VS), and in some cases they 
> are stylish(like the recent Visual Studio versions). I think that a 
> better-looking IDE would not just make the programming task more 
> pleasant, but also could attract more people to Pascal.

When I looked at the IDE code, in implementing the EasyDockMaster, I 
found that code specialized for use with no or with anchor docking. It 
must be hell to add further layouts, regardless of the docking manager 
to be used :-(

Hint: Delphi allows for an CodeExplorer attached to *every* source code 
window. Lazarus only allows for an single CodeExplorer.

>         I know about the existence of AnchorDocking package for a docked 
> IDE, but I think that if such feature were built-in, the IDE could be 
> improved with appropriated features for a docked app - and since the 
> forms would be still undockable, the user could switch back to the 
> "Delphi7-like" interface.

Yep. The flaws of *monolithic* IDEs are well known, such a model is only 
easy to *implement*, but not really nice to *use* :-(

I frequently need two or more source code windows visible at the same 
time, and thus have no use for a monolithic IDE.

>         My propose is ask if you guys would mind if I work on some 
> projects with a different interface and made in Lazarus(of course) to 
> you evaluate. I'm good at create components and customize to give them a 
> stylish appearance like in the case of VS. But I would like to know from 
> you guys first.

Did you have a look at the EasyDocking sample? It includes a fully 
dockable sample IDE, and has provisions for any kind/style of dock headers.

DoDi