Features for the next version

The Ariadna product comes to its finish line now and we are going to plan
features for the next version(s). Your opinion is very important for us when
doing this. So it's a good time to vote for features or submit new ones into
the Tracker!

--
Valentin Kipiatkov
JetBrains, Inc
http://www.intellij.com
"Develop with pleasure!"



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22 comments

This link to the forum might be a good source of inspiration :

http://www.intellij.net/forums/thread.jsp?forum=22&thread=14674&tstart=0&trange=15

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Is there already an open tracker request for the GUI builder? I believe that I've seen one, but unable to find it now :(

0

The most critical issues in my opinion include the following:

- Fully customizable toolbars (a la MSDEV); multiple stackable toolbars,
which can be configured (i.e. debug toolbar only shows in debug mode, a
search/find toolbar, a refactoring toolbar, etc) all commands should have
icons available for toolbar use. And of course, toolbars should be able to
be turned off completely as well.

- Full macro recording and editing ability and bind-to-key ability. I
should be able to record a sequence of keys and commands, edit it, name it,
save it, and bind it to a key. I should also be able to do anonymous
one-off macros (record this... now play it back). It should be very easy to
do and not "get in the way" and take the effort of going to different set up
screens, dialogs, or wizards (like with live templates).

- MRU single-key editor navigation (the Ctrl-Tab/Ctrl-Shift-Tab editor
cycling of MSDev, or the Alt-Tab/Alt-Shift-Tab of Window's fast task
switcher)

- Ability to "float" Editor windows so as to see multiple files
simultaneously and easy cut/past or drag/drop between them... allowing one
editor to be put on another monitor in multi-monitor setups, etc.


"Valentin Kipiatkov" <valentin@intellij.com> wrote in message
news:apjhmt$sfb$1@is.intellij.net...

The Ariadna product comes to its finish line now and we are going to plan
features for the next version(s). Your opinion is very important for us

when

doing this. So it's a good time to vote for features or submit new ones

into

the Tracker!

>

--
Valentin Kipiatkov
JetBrains, Inc
http://www.intellij.com
"Develop with pleasure!"

>
>
>


0

Paul Bradshaw wrote:

The most critical issues in my opinion include the following:

- Fully customizable toolbars (a la MSDEV); multiple stackable toolbars,
which can be configured (i.e. debug toolbar only shows in debug mode, a
search/find toolbar, a refactoring toolbar, etc) all commands should have
icons available for toolbar use. And of course, toolbars should be able to
be turned off completely as well.

- Full macro recording and editing ability and bind-to-key ability. I
should be able to record a sequence of keys and commands, edit it, name it,
save it, and bind it to a key. I should also be able to do anonymous
one-off macros (record this... now play it back). It should be very easy to
do and not "get in the way" and take the effort of going to different set up
screens, dialogs, or wizards (like with live templates).


Agreed. Be sure to vote for it at
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=847

- MRU single-key editor navigation (the Ctrl-Tab/Ctrl-Shift-Tab editor
cycling of MSDev, or the Alt-Tab/Alt-Shift-Tab of Window's fast task
switcher)


I'm not unhappy with Alt(Left|Right)Arrow, and CtrlAlt+(Left|Right),
and CtrlShiftBackspace, but a MRU navigation would be a nice too. Have
you added a feature request?

Jon

0

Paul Bradshaw wrote:

- Ability to "float" Editor windows so as to see multiple files
simultaneously and easy cut/past or drag/drop between them... allowing one
editor to be put on another monitor in multi-monitor setups, etc.


The multi monitor setup might cause a lot of trouble. Last time I checked
GUIs had trouble placing windows with the correct size at the correct
position and so on. I have to admit though that I am not sure if this
problems are gone with 1.4.1

Best regards,

Dirk Dittert

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Well, my request is more of an anti-request. I'd like to be able to run IDEA in a very 'lean' mode, by being able to turn off a lot of stuff I don't need which uses up processing time. It could even be just in config files and without a UI, just so power users are able to customise their environment and be able to choose to get performance and sacrifice some functionality. Basically some sort of chart would be provided, that would break down all features and what impact they have on performance, so one could decide it the penalty for having javadoc parsing is worth it or not, and so on.

I also would like to voice a strong vote against things like a GUI builder. By all means those who want such toys should be able to write plugins for them, however they do not belong in the core IDEA distribution in my opinion. As IDEA grows the hardcore users seem to become more and more of a minority, unfortunately (the number of users crying out for GUI support now for example is higher than those who asked for it after 2.6, compared to the numbers of those who objected).

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Paul Bradshaw wrote:

- Ability to "float" Editor windows so as to see

multiple files

simultaneously and easy cut/past or drag/drop

between them... allowing one

editor to be put on another monitor in

multi-monitor setups, etc.

The multi monitor setup might cause a lot of trouble.
Last time I checked
GUIs had trouble placing windows with the correct
size at the correct
position and so on. I have to admit though that I am
not sure if this
problems are gone with 1.4.1


I am currently working with Matrox G550 in DualHead mode. I experience absolutely no troubles when I maximize Ariadna to span both displays; I am also able to drag floating tool windows between displays.

0

I completely agree with your point of fine grained configuration of IDEA. In my vision this could be accomplished through further decomposition of IDEA into plugins and by providing some tool to manage these plugins. There were also separate requests to provide some means to configure error checking and intentions.

I completely disagree with you point about GUI builder. The lack of GUI builder in IDEA is the only reason that I have an installation of JBuilder on my machine. If you think that a hardcore user is the user who can manage by hand forms having over 50 controls, then, yes, I am not a hardcore user. I prefer intelligent tools to do it for me in a visual and convenient way. I do not mind having a GUI builder as an optional plugin, but I would really appreciate if IntelliJ people took the responsibility for the development of such plugin.

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- Allow to resynchronize a single file, perhaps by right clikcing on the tab and selecting "synchronize". Reason: I hate to wait for all my files to sync when I am just waiting for a single file status to be updated. e.g. This mostly happen when I change a file from read only to read-write.

0

HotSwap support (aka Edit-and-Continue)


"Valentin Kipiatkov" <valentin@intellij.com> wrote in message
news:apjhmt$sfb$1@is.intellij.net...

The Ariadna product comes to its finish line now and we are going to plan
features for the next version(s). Your opinion is very important for us

when

doing this. So it's a good time to vote for features or submit new ones

into

the Tracker!

>

--
Valentin Kipiatkov
JetBrains, Inc
http://www.intellij.com
"Develop with pleasure!"

>
>
>


0

- integration with issue reporting tool like Scarab and Jira. Of course, these tools may not yet have an interface for that. One of my plan is to add such an interface for Scarab. Send me an email if you want to discuss it.

0

Why won't you vote for the corresponding SCR in tracker? We'll look at
votes, but not at newsgroup posts.

--
Best regards,
Mike Aizatsky.
-


JetBrains, Inc / IntelliJ Software
http://www.intellij.com
"Develop with pleasure!"


0

Off-line CVS support.
I often copy my project tree onto my portable to continue working at home or on location. It would be practical if I could just do my normal business, and have files added and deleted in CVS when I plug into the network again.

0

Now it's there and you may vote for it:
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=6533

0

I believe everything I mentioned is in Tracker... either submitted by me, or
with votes by me :)

I just reiterate here because these are my biggest desires by far.

As for the Ctrl-Left/Right, it has some issues that are quite annoying, in
spite of how amazingly useful it is: having to take the hands off home-row
and go way over to the arrows, and having to "remember" whether you're on
the last file or some other one, so you know whether to press Ctrl-Left, or
Ctrl-Right to get "back" to where you just were. MRU cycling eliminates
that problem completely.

I also have a request in to enhance Ctrl-E ("Recent files list") to be
numbered or otherwise "hot-keyed" like the "Surround With" menu so you could
use it more easily (just two keys... Ctrl-E and #, rather than n-keys...
Ctrl-E, up/down arrow n-times, ENTER), as that would help as well... I was
HOPING that would make it into 3.0, but apparently not. :( :(


"Jon Steelman" <steelman@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:apk1ct$kl5$1@is.intellij.net...

Paul Bradshaw wrote:

The most critical issues in my opinion include the following:

>

- Fully customizable toolbars (a la MSDEV); multiple stackable

toolbars,

which can be configured (i.e. debug toolbar only shows in debug mode, a
search/find toolbar, a refactoring toolbar, etc) all commands should

have

icons available for toolbar use. And of course, toolbars should be able

to

be turned off completely as well.

>

- Full macro recording and editing ability and bind-to-key ability. I
should be able to record a sequence of keys and commands, edit it, name

it,

save it, and bind it to a key. I should also be able to do anonymous
one-off macros (record this... now play it back). It should be very

easy to

do and not "get in the way" and take the effort of going to different

set up

screens, dialogs, or wizards (like with live templates).

>

Agreed. Be sure to vote for it at
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=847

>

- MRU single-key editor navigation (the Ctrl-Tab/Ctrl-Shift-Tab editor
cycling of MSDev, or the Alt-Tab/Alt-Shift-Tab of Window's fast task
switcher)

>

I'm not unhappy with Alt(Left|Right)Arrow, and CtrlAlt+(Left|Right),
and CtrlShiftBackspace, but a MRU navigation would be a nice too. Have
you added a feature request?

>

Jon

>


0

Here are the tracker pages for some of these issues:

MRU Order: http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=3734

Floating Editor windows:
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=2512

Ctrl-E enhancement:
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=3735

Macro Recording: http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=847

Custom Toolbars/Menus:
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=3739

"Jon Steelman" <steelman@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:apk1ct$kl5$1@is.intellij.net...

Paul Bradshaw wrote:

The most critical issues in my opinion include the following:

>

- Fully customizable toolbars (a la MSDEV); multiple stackable

toolbars,

which can be configured (i.e. debug toolbar only shows in debug mode, a
search/find toolbar, a refactoring toolbar, etc) all commands should

have

icons available for toolbar use. And of course, toolbars should be able

to

be turned off completely as well.

>

- Full macro recording and editing ability and bind-to-key ability. I
should be able to record a sequence of keys and commands, edit it, name

it,

save it, and bind it to a key. I should also be able to do anonymous
one-off macros (record this... now play it back). It should be very

easy to

do and not "get in the way" and take the effort of going to different

set up

screens, dialogs, or wizards (like with live templates).

>

Agreed. Be sure to vote for it at
http://www.intellij.net/tracker/idea/viewSCR?publicId=847

>

- MRU single-key editor navigation (the Ctrl-Tab/Ctrl-Shift-Tab editor
cycling of MSDev, or the Alt-Tab/Alt-Shift-Tab of Window's fast task
switcher)

>

I'm not unhappy with Alt(Left|Right)Arrow, and CtrlAlt+(Left|Right),
and CtrlShiftBackspace, but a MRU navigation would be a nice too. Have
you added a feature request?

>

Jon

>


0

Paul Bradshaw wrote:

I also have a request in to enhance Ctrl-E ("Recent files list") to be
numbered or otherwise "hot-keyed" like the "Surround With" menu so you could
use it more easily (just two keys... Ctrl-E and #, rather than n-keys...
Ctrl-E, up/down arrow n-times, ENTER), as that would help as well... I was
HOPING that would make it into 3.0, but apparently not. :(


An alternative approach to enhancing Ctrl+E is for it to behave more
like Alt+Tab. More E's (with Ctrl) move through the MRU list, while a
Shift+E (still holding Ctrl) reverses the movement. Since you are hand
and finger motion averse, you gotta like that because you don't have to
move your hands of the original keys for typical usage. ;)

Jon

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I think Mike is trying to say: "Take special notice of the last sentence of Valentin's original post".

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Why won't you vote for the corresponding SCR in
tracker? We'll look at
votes, but not at newsgroup posts.


To be honest, I would prefer you create the initial list of what you think should be in the next release, and then we can vote for those. And then can post messages here with various additions / subtractions, etc (always with a references to an SCR of course :-). I think it is unfair to expect the user community to completely drive the contents of the next release. You must have some vision or thought about what direction you are taking the product.

Mike


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I agree with Hani on BOTH points. If I wanted a GUI designer I can always do it in another free IDE. Keep IDEA where it is and what it's meant to do... which is letting us write the code the way we want it. GUI designers over bloat an IDE, slow it down.

If however this were to be added, PLEASE make sure that the GUIs can be not installed with the whole IDE. Or give me an option to buy a version which doesn't have the GUI stuff in it.

R

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