So, here I am working on a 16-bit app in 2004. I’m using Borland Delphi 1.0 for the task. Overall, the project has gone very smoothly, but for some reason, the last couple of days on the project have been tough. I think I narrowed it down to the fact that I’m way too familiar with the current, state of the art IDEs coming out of MS.
Things that I miss while using Delphi 1:
Intellisense
Good code examples in the help
cool debugging tools (like floating your mouse pointer over a variable to see its value)
select a block of text and tab in or out
right-click on a procedure or function and view its definition
I’m sure there are more, but those are the biggest things that I miss.
It is a bit strange to have an IDE that doesn’t do that stuff, isn’t it.
Just so you know, all that stuff is in the current version of Delphi.
I’m sure Delphi 1 supports Ctrl+K+I and Ctrl+K+U for indenting/unindenting a block of code. In fact having checked Delphi 8, neither the Default nor Classic mappings support using Tab to indent a block – they replace it with a Tab character. I think you only get that when you switch to Visual Studio keymapping
Nick,
I’ve actually been thinking about picking up Delphi 8. The last major version I purchased was 4. I’ve got a couple shareware-type programs I wrote using 4.
Brian,
I just checked Ctrl-K-I / U in Delphi 1. It sorta works in that I can indent (or un-indent) a block of code once. If I try to hit the chord again, it removes the selected text.
Those are key sequences, not chords. You hit Ctrl-K, then Ctrl-I (or just I) to indent, and Ctrl-K, then Ctrl-U (or just U) for unindent.
Allen,
I stand corrected.
It still doesn’t work like I think it should. I’d like to be able to select some text and hit Ctrl-K and then hit I or U multiple times (if needed).
Of course, I’d really just prefer to have all IDEs support Vi keymappings.
vi, geez I’m still addicted to the brief keymappings. It’s been there through D8! (thank goodness, although I miss all my macros)