[MonoDevelop] Impressions from using monodevelop

Tue Feb 28 13:52:41 EST 2006

Hi.

Thanks for all the input. It is very usefull. I was wondering if you could
please create bugzilla entries for the issues (especially the bugs).

Thanks,
Jacob

On 2/28/06, Matze Braun <matze at braunis.de> wrote:
>
> I just decided to take another look at monodevelop so I took a svn
> snapshot and developed a little toy project with it. Monodevelop is
> getting better each time I look at it, but it's still far away from
> eclipse in java mode. Anyway I wrote down some of the issues I faced
> while developing this toy project. I hope this is usefull info for you:
>
> General:
> ~~~~~~~~
>
> The "File/New File" menu entry is very confusing when you have a project
> open.  Because it does not as you would expect add the file to the
> project but it just creates an independent file somewhere on your disk.
> (Is this feature usefull at all? I can't imagine a very usefull
> situation myself at least...)
>
> A very common task is creation of new classes and interfaces. The
> intuitive way to do so would be clicking on the class browser and
> finding 'New Class','New Interface' and such in the context menu (maybe
> with a dialog that lets me set some options for the generated class).
> The IDE should deal with all the boring background stuff like placing a
> file somewhere, adding it to the project, ...  The current way where you
> have to work on the file level (ie. adding new cs files instead of new
> classes/interfaces) is not as easy and intuitive to use. A very good
> example on how these things should work can be seen in java mode in the
> eclipse IDE.
>
> After adding a new file to the solution the editor should open this
> file.
>
> Typically you use the class browser to lookup methods in other classes.
> Often you also want to see the parameters needed. It would be very
> helpfull to add a tooltip that displays them when you hold the mouse
> over a method.
>
> The fileselector for opening projects should only display .mdb files
> (Because as beginner you have no idea what from these mds, pidb and mdp
> file is your project)
>
> The IDE should open the most recently used project after startup. Would
> be even nicer if all open editors and other open windows would be
> restored. Theideal would be a feeling like the IDE gets just suspended
> when you quit it, so that you can seamlessly continue development next
> time you start it. -> I just found an option for loading the most
> recently used project on startup in the preferences, however it didn't
> work for me and I wonder why it isn't enabled by default and why anyone
> would want this option or the other behaviour at all)
>
> When adding new classes and interface a .cs is automatically appended to
> thename (providing some feedback about that would be helpfull). This is
> not true when adding xml files for example.
>
> I can add new files to the project by right clicking on the solution and
> using Add/New File... unfortunatley I can't do that for Resources.
> (There's just "Add Resource" which needs an existing file)
>
> It would be helpfull to be able to specify the encoding of files in the
> project.Along with a projectwide setting for file encoding.
>
> Long messages in the error list are annoying to read as you have to
> scroll left/right all the time. Wrapping the text would be alot better
> here.
>
> Removing files from the project should ask the user whether he already
> wantsto remove the file from disk (as this is often the case). This
> should be done instead of this "are you really sure?" dialog box.
>
> Intellisense/Code completion:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Eclipse has this very usefull feature where it automagically writes the
> needed import statement when you select a class in the intellisense
> list. It should be possible to do the same for the usings in C# I think.
>
> After finding a function with the help of intellisense and writing the
> opening '(' you often want to know what parameters are required.
> Pressing CTRL+Space after the opening '(' should display them.
>
> When typing in the classname of a nonexistant class and then hitting
> CTRL+Space (example type "XmlReader" (without an using System.Xml
> statement in your app) hit CTRL+Space and all you typed will be remove
> and replaced with something else from the list (_AppSettings in my
> case), very annoying as you have to type the stuff again.
>
>
> Editor:
> ~~~~~~~
>
> When using convertTabsToSpaces option, then 4 spaces should still feel
> like a tab. Ie. if you press delete or backspace on 4 spaces they should
> all be deleted at once, when navigating with the cursor, jump 4 spaces
> at once.
>
> Smart indentation seems to be only performed after pressing return. It
> wouldbe better to get the feedback about the indentation operations a
> bit earlier.  A good example is when you write a '}' then you expect the
> indentation to instantly decrease 1 level. As this doesn't happen until
> you press return you often find yourself removing the indentation
> manually before pressing return on the line.
>
>
> Bugs:
> ~~~~~
>
> Smart indentation only works when a file has been saved (happens when
> you
> use the File/NewFile menu entry)
>
> The class browser is not updated when you created new files (A button to
> manually refresh it would be usefull at least until all bugs in the
> class browser are ruled out)
>
> The newly generated class and interface files use tabs for indentation,
> evenwhen you have your editor set to convert tabs to spaces.
>
> When you change tabsToSpaces option, smartindenting will still use the
> old setting until you restart the whole IDE
>
>
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