- Freestanding Blackbox applications?

From: CFB Software <"CFB>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 10:00:56 +0930

----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-1081471949_-_-
Content-type: text/plain

> -----Original Message-----
> From: blackbox{([at]})nowhere.xy
> Behalf Of Douglas G. Danforth
>
> > Rene Krywult wrote:
> >
> > If you type in an object name followed by a dot, VS gives
> you all the
> > properties and methods of this object in a listbox directly
> under the
> > cursor.
> >
> > If you type in the name of a function or a procedure, an
> info is shown
> > about the parameters.
> >

> In BlackBox if you type Ctrl-D on a selected name you will
> get the interface for the module or the procedure definition,
> or type definition, etc..
>

Yes - I much prefer the BlackBox approach myself. The information is at my
fingertips when I *need* it rather than the IDE treating me like an idiot
and continually interrupting my train of thought.

The main advantage I see of the tools like Visual Studio and Borland
Developer Studio over BlackBox are the more advanced Forms Designer, and the
improved cosmetic appearance, more layout capabilities and wider range of
available visual components (e.g. splitter bars, panels, progress bars,
sliders etc.).

However, those issues are important to me but not critical. The real
showstopper for me, when I was considering doing more real work in BlackBox,
was the comparative difficulty of achieving some relatively basic operations
that happen 'automatically' in VS and BDS applications. Just one example -
when a user resizes a form which contains a table which fills the form, I
want the table on the form to also resize in sync. I spent much time trying
to work out how to code this in BlackBox without success. In Delphi the
*only* thing I have to do is set the 'Align' property of the table to
'alClient'.

Consequently, my current BlackBox work is limited to 'hobbyist' projects
which involves limited visual interaction.

--
Chris Burrows
CFB Software
http://www.cfbsoftware.com/gpcp
--- BlackBox
--- send subject HELP or UNSUBSCRIBE to blackbox{([at]})nowhere.xy----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-1081471949_-_-
Content-type: application/rtf
Content-transfer-encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="rtf-body.rtf"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----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-1081471949_-_---

Received on Wed May 17 2006 - 02:30:56 UTC