From: Curt Hibbs <curt@...>
Date: 2002-01-10T16:32:14+09:00
Subject: RE: An Update on the FreeRIDE Project

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Holden Glova [mailto:dsafari@xtra.co.nz]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 10:04 PM
> >
> > For instance, if I have three different source files open, I like being
> > able to hit ALT+1, ALT+2, and ALT+3 to immediately jump between the
> > three of them.
>
> If it's class based and you are viewing an entire project - how
> would you do
> that without running out making so many key bindings that you
> would forget
> which was what class? (this statement is assuming it is a class
> based view
> that is presented - after all, Ruby uses classes)

The way its usually done in other IDEs is that there is one edit window for
each open file (which may contain multiple classes). A separate navigation
window lets you gives you structural views into your project.

A class browser navigation pane would have a collapsible/expandable tree
control that would take you to a class definition when you clicked on it --
that would mean activating the appropriate edit window (or opening the file
it wasn't already open) and then positioning the cursor on the first line of
the class definition.

A file navigation pane would show the physical files in your project,
organized in a hierarchy by the physical folders in which you keep them.

The editing windows are always in a one-to-one correspondence with the
physical files, not matter what method of navigation you are using to move
around in your code. Still, its easy to get more windows open than available
key bindings.

A possible alternative is a bookmark facility that let's your use a single
keystroke to set a bookmark at the current location in the current file, and
then another pair of keystrokes that lets you navigate forward and backward
in your bookmark list.

I think I'll go add this (bookmarks) to the FreeRIDE wiki.

Curt