SlickEdit Community
SlickEdit Product Discussion => SlickEdit® => Topic started by: daviescj on August 23, 2007, 06:03:14 PM
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I searched the forum, but could find nothing about this. I am unable to figure out how to get file tabs at the top, not the bottom of the page. Most tools I am familiar with have them at the top (see Firefox).
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Just drag it up to the top of the window. It can be put anywhere, but it only works well at the top or bottom. One of the real gurus posted how to make it look even cooler by changing the orientation value, but I can't find that post right now.
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For my money, dragging to the top doesn't work at all. It will park there, but only for the full width of the VS window. If you have your projects folder on the side, the file tabs will extend over that as well as the editor window area, which makes no sense.
I have suggested elsewhere that the filetabs window should be replaced (except for those who love it, of course) by an enhancement to the Editor Pane that would incorporate the tabs in the pane itself. Top, bottom, side, whatever. I haven't heard any comment on that suggestion, but for now I seem to be stuck with tabs at the bottom.
(I'd b e happy to stand corrected if I've missed something.)
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The tab refuses to be dragged anywhere. Besides, drag and drop is just retarded. I should never be forced to use the mouse and I should be able to specify where the tabs go and forget about it. And the Help system is useless and says zip about file tabs. I bought SlickEdit because it was much better at handling different programming languages than most, but I am being forced to go back to UltraEdit simply because its usefulness and user-friendliness are just so much better, despite its feeble support for programming languages. I am giving up SE's language support because it just isn't very good as a general text editor. Most real programmers do more than just write code.
BTW, why can't I open a new buffer in SE without being forced to choose a file type? Ever heard of late binding?
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A) I you seem a little tense. Take a deep breath. If you give it enough of a chance, SlickEdit will become your best friend, even though it will always find some way to disappoint you. Just like any other piece of software that we didn't write ourselves. :)
B) The file tabs themselves do not drag, true. The toolbar that contains them does. It has a little double bar along the left edge (assuming it's docked below the editor window. You can grab that handle and drag the toolbar where you'd like it, docked or floating.
C) SlickEdit is extraordinarily keyboard-friendly. However there are some things that work better with a mouse. I doubt you really want to use the keyboard to navigate to the right toolbar, invoke it's move command and arrow up, down, left, and right until you finally have it where you want it. But in any case, organizing tools to your own satisfaction may take a while in the beginning, but once you get there, you'll rarely need to do it again.
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Steve, thank you for giving me the hint about how to drag the file tab "toolbar". It confirms what I said about "drag and drop is just retarded. I should never be forced to use the mouse and I should be able to specify where the tabs go and forget about it. " Drag and drop IS retarded, and SE's particular implementation especially so.
Why should file tabs even have a "toolbar"? They're just file tabs, for Pete's sake, they don't need a "toolbar". I should be able to specify the location ONCE in Options and be done with it.
>SlickEdit is extraordinarily keyboard-friendly. However there are some things that work better with a mouse. I doubt you really want to use the keyboard to navigate to the right toolbar, invoke it's move command and arrow up, down, left, and right until you finally have it where you want it.<
I think that you are completely missing the point. The editor's keyboard commands should not be about moving various screen decorations by shoving useless toolbars around the screen, they should be about EDITING TEXT. I should be able to do that without ever touching a mouse. Any editor that cannot function entirely without a mouse doesn't deserve to be called a text editor.
And I would still like to know why I can't open a new file without specifying a file type...
PPS The Help still sucks...
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And I would still like to know why I can't open a new file without specifying a file type...
Have a look here
http://community.slickedit.com/index.php?topic=2004.msg8397#msg8397
http://community.slickedit.com/index.php?topic=2006.msg8407#msg8407
Hope it helps,
HS2
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And I would still like to know why I can't open a new file without specifying a file type...
I'm not sure I quite understand the issue here, the way I work, when I'm creating a new file, I just go to the command line and type:
e /path/to/whatever
and the file opens. I didn't have to specify any file type ???. Are you saying that you want the file to open without any language support? Like, just open a new file and not have the support be determined by the extension?
- Ryan
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I think, the summary of daviescj's complaint is that SlickEdit doesn't allow an option of "setting the file tabs via some sort of radio buttons: left, right, top, or bottom of the editor control". His previous editor probably had its file tabs as part of the editor control, whereas in SlickEdit, the filetabs is a distinct tool window (hence draggable like any other tool window).
The editor's keyboard commands should not be about moving various screen decorations by shoving useless toolbars around the screen, they should be about EDITING TEXT.
Yes, I agree. And IMO SlickEdit adheres to this philosophy.
I should be able to do that without ever touching a mouse.
Do what without ever touching a mouse? Executing keyboard commands or moving various screen decorations?
Any editor that cannot function entirely without a mouse doesn't deserve to be called a text editor.
I agree wholeheartedly. Then by your definition, SlickEdit qualifies as a text editor.
And I would still like to know why I can't open a new file without specifying a file type...
My favorite way is to press: ESC - new-file - ENTER. Three easy steps. You don't even have to touch the mouse. :-)
Have a nice day!
Kohei
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PPS The Help still sucks...
daviescj, we are very open to improving our documentation, and work hard to add more content and improve upon existing content with every release. I agree the Help about file tabs could be better. I will file a CR to address this. Please feel free to send us specific feedback about what you would like to see improved in the Help. You can post here (I read every post) or you can send an email directly to docs@slickedit.com.
--Lisa (your resident doc person)
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Kohei,
>My favorite way is to press: ESC - new-file - ENTER. Three easy steps. You don't even have to touch the mouse. :-)<
I just tried that and nothing happened. Nothing at all. Zip. Zero. Thanks anyway.
BTW, if you genuinely want to see how a user-friendly text editor works, just download and try UltraEdit. It's the best general-purpose text editor ever. However, it is mediocre as a programmer's editor. It has feeble language support and minimal macro programmability. And its regular expressions are weird. But it's really good at usability. As in getting s**t done!
The ONLY reason I bought SlickEdit is its strong support for programming languages, but it is severely hampered by what I see as serious user interface defects, such as the BS with file tab "toolbars" (come on, people, a TOOLBAR! You gotta be kidding!) and the unbelievably complex work involved in creating a simple untyped text file.
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>I've added the 'new-file' command as button to the toolbar besides the fully featured 'new' command.
It just adds an unnamned buffer w/o any prompting.
See View>Toolsbars>Customize>Categories tab->Files and Buffers -> the icon w/ the green plus-sign.<
I tried this and it seems to have worked. However, I am astounded that this is so hard and so obscure (not to mention UNDOCUMENTED). How difficult is it to replace Notepad? That's all we are talking about here, folks! Notepad! Jeez...
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Kohei said:
"I think, the summary of daviescj's complaint is that SlickEdit doesn't allow an option of "setting the file tabs via some sort of radio buttons: left, right, top, or bottom of the editor control". His previous editor probably had its file tabs as part of the editor control, whereas in SlickEdit, the filetabs is a distinct tool window (hence draggable like any other tool window)."
NO! You completely missed my point. I don't care HOW the editor implements it, but I don't want to have to use ANY "drag and drop" BS to set anything. I should be able to set all my choices by using menus and the keyboard. If I can't do EVERYTHING through the keyboard, then your product is defective. Period.
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Hi,
I don't understand the difficulty with creating a new file. I never use the "new" command or its ilk when creating a new file. I invoke gui-open (CUA: F8), optionally navigate to the desired directory, then enter the filename. Or, even simpler, use the "e" ("edit") command on the command line.
I kind of agree that the file tabs are a bit weird in being a tool window. Other environments' file tabs do seem rather easier to use than SlickEdit's. The File Tabs tool window is not a strong point, and I believe there are plans to enhance/rework it in a future release.
(Slick Team, check out some of the other tools out there from time to time. Some of the ones released within the last few years. ;-)
Regards
John Hurst
Wellington, New Zealand
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The file tabs in SE is very similar with UltraEdit except the default direction of the tab control (but you can change it via form editor).
I think the file tabs are OK, even better than some modern editors (like VS2005, seems it can not place the file tabs to bottom or placed as a floating window). But there are some wishes about file tabs:
1. toolbar/file tabs locking.
2. switch files with scrolling the mouse wheel on the file tabs
3. place the close button at the right of the file tabs bar, but not the menu bar, or both?
4. the way to mark the modified file is customizable. I don't like to use the modified line color, but prefer the UE style (add a "*" after name). I hope there would have an option to satisfy me :)
5. the direction of the tab control can fit the file tabs position automatically.
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Hi, I think can't catch your meaning. To place the file tabs in UltraEdit to bottom you should drag it to there, too. What's the different with the SE's?
And, you can change the new file button in toolbar to "new-file" command (I hate the default new button, too). It just works as the "New File" button in UE exactly.
btw, I'm a UE fans before. You can see I changed the button icons and my file tabs to the UE style :D. I agree "Most real programmers do more than just write code.", but SE is just the very editor to let real programmers do more! ;D
The tab refuses to be dragged anywhere. Besides, drag and drop is just retarded. I should never be forced to use the mouse and I should be able to specify where the tabs go and forget about it. And the Help system is useless and says zip about file tabs. I bought SlickEdit because it was much better at handling different programming languages than most, but I am being forced to go back to UltraEdit simply because its usefulness and user-friendliness are just so much better, despite its feeble support for programming languages. I am giving up SE's language support because it just isn't very good as a general text editor. Most real programmers do more than just write code.
BTW, why can't I open a new buffer in SE without being forced to choose a file type? Ever heard of late binding?
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4. the way to mark the modified file is customizable. I don't like to use the modified line color, but prefer the UE style (add a "*" after name). I hope there would have an option to satisfy me
I think that you would find it annoying after a while to have the extra * on a file name cause the tabs to become bigger and therefore fewer tabs to be able to be displayed in the available space. I know I would - I always want many more tabs than I can have at present.
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I hacked the file tabs and use that style since SE v9, it works fine. If your screen is wide enough the extra "*" will not take too much place. And you might not have too many files unsaved at same time (for me the unsaved file will not more than 3 or 4. I often press Ctrl+S :D).
Another way to avoid the tabs scroll is changing the tab control to SSTAB_MULTIROW_BESTFIT. So it will not show the scroll buttons but adjust the tabs width to fit them in screen.
The reason why I hate using the modified line color because I prefer to use light colors to mark the modified line (just like SourceInsight or Eclipse). But the light colors make the tab unreadable.
4. the way to mark the modified file is customizable. I don't like to use the modified line color, but prefer the UE style (add a "*" after name). I hope there would have an option to satisfy me
I think that you would find it annoying after a while to have the extra * on a file name cause the tabs to become bigger and therefore fewer tabs to be able to be displayed in the available space. I know I would - I always want many more tabs than I can have at present.
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If the 'modified' color isn't the desired one you could use an alternative hack: http://community.slickedit.com/index.php?topic=1808.msg7640#msg7640 ;)
HS2
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3. place the close button at the right of the file tabs bar, but not the menu bar, or both?
You can close a buffer by middle clicking on the buffer tab. There is no 'x', which would indeed take up more space, but the middle mouse button IMHO is a great alternative!
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@daviecj
As a self-confessed keyboard oriented programmer, why are you focused on the file tabs anyway? Certainly, you do not use the file tabs to switch between files -- that requires using the mouse. The file tabs tool window was put in place as a simple solution for novice users or users who wanted a tabbed document view. It is not perfect, but it has served it's purpose quite well.
Look in the help (Contents > User Interface > Buffers and Editor Windows). Here you will find thorough documentation on switching between files and buffers, including the command names and default CUA key bindings for most operations. Most really keyboard focused users of SlickEdit do not use the file tabs at all. Instead, they use the buffer circle (next-buffer / prev-buffer) to swap between their most recently visited files, or they use Document > List Open Files (Ctrl+Shift+B) to bring up the file list and search incrementally to find specific files or to quickly see which files they have modified.
BTW, the only reason I could imagine that <Esc> new_file did not work for you would be if you are in VIM emulation, you need to use "Ctrl+A" to toggle to the SlickEdit command line -- <Esc> has specific purposes in VIM emulation. In all other emulations, <Esc> will toggle you between your current editor window and the SlickEdit command line.
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The file tabs in SE is very similar with UltraEdit except the default direction of the tab control (but you can change it via form editor)...
Thanks for the clue on setting the tab orientation. I usually keep my tabs on top but the default bottom orientation of the filetabs bar has been annoying me for years. I didn't realize that this was just another slickedit custom form that is accessable to users. Back when this bar was added to SlickEdit, I was told by their support that it wasn't possible to change the orientation of the tabs.
It took a little while to figure out which form it was, but that was a small price to pay.
For anyone else who cares about this, the form for the filetabs bar in question is _tbbufftabs_form. Just select the tab control on the bar and edit the orientation property.
cycloptic
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If, like me, you've lost your File Tabs and want them back then do this:
1- Got menu item: View->Tool Windows->File Tabs
2- You should get a floating window with all the file tabs. Who wants that? Far better to have it at the bottom (or top) of your file.
3- Select the two vertical lines on the left side of the window and you will see a non-intuitive GUI that allows you to snap it to various edges of the main window.
4- Drag the File Tabs window to one of those icons and the File Tabs window will be placed there.
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@frakman
Thanks for posting the helpful tip, however, recent versions of SlickEdit have the document tabs built in and there is no need for the "File Tabs" tool window. If they aren't already present, you can display the document tabs by going to "Window > Zoom Toggle".
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A (minor) downside to the Document Tabs window is that it doesn't mimic the File Tabs in that a middle mouse click anywhere on the tab closes it...gotta be more careful to hit that 'X'. :P
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Tools > Options > Editing > Editor Windows > "Tab middle-click action"
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Thank you very much Dennis