Suggestion for next version

[nigeltodd]

COuld the logic editor have the cursor line & column number displayed at the bottom - it could make it much easier to debug?
Also, the Control arrow keys move a word ata time, as most windows editors do?
Thanks

[Darren]

The first idea has been added to our system as #12321. The second idea was already in our system as #7519.

Unfortunately, neither of these will be in the next version of the software.

[Dave Byron]

How about a Piced 3.999 version that is the current version with the updated logic engine in it.
This would allow me to start programming and testing the DLT logic – which requires a bit of coding and testing. The special functions on the buttons not needed for this so can wait for V4 for that.

dave

[Valery R.]

Is there a way to allow Piced to make a runnable program based on the Touchscreen project?
I mean I can create a project, test it on PC in simulation mode and then download it to unit. But if I want to let user control C-Bus from his PC, I will have to make another program, becouse I dont want him to edit the project(as if I let him control it from Piced). Anyway it'll be easyer for him if this program will be just the same as what he sees on his Touchscreen.

[Richo]

Is there a way to allow Piced to make a runnable program based on the Touchscreen project?
I mean I can create a project, test it on PC in simulation mode and then download it to unit. But if I want to let user control C-Bus from his PC, I will have to make another program, becouse I dont want him to edit the project(as if I let him control it from Piced). Anyway it'll be easyer for him if this program will be just the same as what he sees on his Touchscreen.

But if he has a colour C-Touch he has the source already anyway, anyone can connect to the colour C-Touch using piced and grab the project.

[Valery R.]

But if he has a colour C-Touch he has the source already anyway, anyone can connect to the colour C-Touch using piced and grab the project.

If he has Piced - yes. But he does not need it. He just needs additional interface on his PC.
I don't mean we need to block our client from editing it, I just wanted to say he can accidently move items, or change them. Becouse you can still edit project while in simulation mode.
We just need something like Operation mode of HomeGate project. But in this case we'll have to install Homegate, and it's not the easyest way.
In ideal it'd be great to receive Project.exe from Piced.

[Richo]

If he has Piced - yes. But he does not need it. He just needs additional interface on his PC.
I don't mean we need to block our client from editing it, I just wanted to say he can accidently move items, or change them. Becouse you can still edit project while in simulation mode.
We just need something like Operation mode of HomeGate project. But in this case we'll have to install Homegate, and it's not the easiest way.
In ideal it'd be great to receive Project.exe from Piced.

I see. Good idea. I believe there are plans (probably not anytime soon) to make a homegate runtime (i.e. only runs projects, can't edit them) which would achieve what you want. But I pretty sure it's not on the near term feature list.

[Darren]

If he has Piced - yes. But he does not need it. He just needs additional interface on his PC.
I don't mean we need to block our client from editing it, I just wanted to say he can accidently move items, or change them. Becouse you can still edit project while in simulation mode.
We just need something like Operation mode of HomeGate project. But in this case we'll have to install Homegate, and it's not the easyest way.
In ideal it'd be great to receive Project.exe from Piced.
What you are asking for is essentially a free equivalent to HomeGate. Unfortunately it isn't going to happen...

[nigeltodd]

Any update on ETA for the line/cursor status and for the Ctrl Arrow word moving in the PICED editor?

[nigeltodd]

One more thing - I think that pascal has the ability to comment out the rest of a line after a double '/'. Make sit easy to comment out a single line while testing logic.

Any chance this could find it's way into the next release?

[ashleigh]

Use of // to designate a comment is a c++ thing, not pascal.

Traditional pascal uses either braces {} or the sequence (* ... *)

dont hold your breath.

[amberelectrics]

The double slash thing is used in some if the RAD tools for object based Pascal, personally I never use it.

Only thing I can think of that would be useful would be autocomplete optionss. For example, in Delphi, as you type in a command it will come up with a list of options for that, you just select the one you want, parameter lists work in the same way showing the description and type, makes cross referencing parameters for functions and procedures a lot easier.

I'm guessing dot notation wont happen ;)

[filpee]

It would be nice if the TAB button worked.

Everytime I try to TAB indent my code I lose the cursor to another windows object.

Also when I right click on a line of code, somewhere to the right in white space, the cursor does not jump to the end of the text as it would in most text editors.

[Darren]

It would be nice if the TAB button worked.

Everytime I try to TAB indent my code I lose the cursor to another windows object.
This is standard windows behaviour. What PICED and most other similar applications do to work around this is to allow the use of CTRL + Tab to insert a tab.

We will look at changing this (reference #13080)

Also when I right click on a line of code, somewhere to the right in white space, the cursor does not jump to the end of the text as it would in most text editors.
We used to have it work this way, but it had the undesirable side-effect that as you scrolled down the lines, the cursor would gradually move left to the end of the shortest line. Unfortunately, sometimes (often) it is not possible to please everybody :(

Any update on ETA for the line/cursor status and for the Ctrl Arrow word moving in the PICED editor?
There are no firm plans for when this will be done.

One more thing - I think that pascal has the ability to comment out the rest of a line after a double '/'. Make sit easy to comment out a single line while testing logic.

Any chance this could find it's way into the next release?
The // comment is, as Ashleigh says, a C++ concept, although some implementations of Pascal (such as Delphi) do support it.

This is in our system as #13082. I can't say when this will be done.

Only thing I can think of that would be useful would be autocomplete optionss. For example, in Delphi, as you type in a command it will come up with a list of options for that, you just select the one you want, parameter lists work in the same way showing the description and type, makes cross referencing parameters for functions and procedures a lot easier.
This would be a major undertaking to implement. For software like PICED where the logic engine is a relatively small part of the software, it would be hard to justify this sort of effort.

I'm guessing dot notation wont happen
This falls in the same category as above...

[ICS-GS]

It would be handy to have an additional "Address list ->" item in the right click menu to quickly select a GA (or) similar from the database when directly entering logic directly in the editor (without the wizard).

As currently you would have to go to something like "get c-bus level" to be able to get access to the tag database, then delete the preceeding command.

Thats my 2 cents worth.

Ta
Grant

[Darren]

It would be handy to have an additional "Address list ->" item in the right click menu to quickly select a GA (or) similar from the database when directly entering logic directly in the editor (without the wizard).

As currently you would have to go to something like "get c-bus level" to be able to get access to the tag database, then delete the preceeding command.
Can you give an example of when this would be useful ?

[filpee]

It would be quicker for some of us to type "(GetLightingState("") = OFF)"
Position the cursor between the "", right click, addresses, select required GA.

Although probably not that much quicker.

Another time it would come in handy is when using copy/paste.
I could just highlight the GA text, right click, addresses, select required GA.
(GetLightingState("my_GA_01") = OFF)
(GetLightingState("my_GA_01") = OFF)
(GetLightingState("my_GA_01") = OFF)
(GetLightingState("my_GA_01") = OFF)

Those are just two I was able to come up with quickly. Maybe ICS-GS had something else in mind.

[ICS-GS]

filpee,

you're getting there!

Darren,

I tend to directly type most of my logic directly into the editor (your wizards are fantastic though!) as i have previous programming experience, it just seems quicker.

but when typing stuff out like this:

SetLightingLevel("V_Liv_Hall_All", HallDimLevel, "0s");

Where HallDimLevel is an integer that changes based on the time of day, something like:

if (Time >= "9:00:00 AM") and
(Time <= "4:00:00 PM") then
begin
HallDimLevel := 0%;
end;
if (Time >= "4:00:00 PM") and
(Time <= "6:00:00 PM") then
begin
HallDimLevel := 70%;
end;
if (Time >= "6:00:00 PM") and
(Time <= "8:00:00 PM") then
begin
HallDimLevel := 60%;
end;
if (Time >= "8:00:00 PM") and
(Time <= "9:00:00 PM") then
begin
HallDimLevel := 50%;
end;

I know that the wizard is not capable of completing the 1st instruction (above) as i would like it, hence i directly enter the code into the editor.

or if you would like more instances...

once (GetLightingState("Heat_ensuite+WC_btn") = ON) and

(GetLightingLevel("EnsuiteTempIn") > (GetLightingLevel "EnsuiteTempSet"))) then
begin
SetLightingState("Heat_ensuite_+_WC", ON);
end;

again the wizard is not capable of the comparison instruction above, so i directly enter it into the editor.

So to be able to look the GA's up quickly from a list in the right mouse button menu would be a real time saver for thise who push the boundaries of the wizards capabilities.

I hope you see where i am comming from now.

Keep up the good work!

Grant

[ICS-GS]

Is there a possibility that a 'verify'function could be added?

So that if a custome has "adjusted" a few things, and dosen't want you to know that they have been fooling around with you hard work, and then rings up and say that the whole thing has gone "screwey" you can compare the two projects, to identify where changes had been made, and possibly only "refining" them rather than loading the last project file that worked back onto the system.

Sometimes educating people makes them less dangerous.

[amberelectrics]

Sounds like that just needs embedded version control. You will know what the version info is on the file you have on record. If it differs from the on site you know they have been mucking about.

The other thing I would like, if possible, is access to the core functions beneath the main language. This would be so we could take the API as designed and create custom functions inherited from the supplied ones. Im not sure if the version of pascal engine you are using can imnplement this kind of object programming but it would be helpful.

[Darren]

Is there a possibility that a 'verify'function could be added?

So that if a custome has "adjusted" a few things, and dosen't want you to know that they have been fooling around with you hard work, and then rings up and say that the whole thing has gone "screwey" you can compare the two projects, to identify where changes had been made, and possibly only "refining" them rather than loading the last project file that worked back onto the system.

I agree that this could be quite handy. It has been added to our system as issue #13193

[Darren]

The other thing I would like, if possible, is access to the core functions beneath the main language. This would be so we could take the API as designed and create custom functions inherited from the supplied ones.
I am not sure exactly what you mean by this. Can you give an example of the sort of thing you want to be able to do ?
Im not sure if the version of pascal engine you are using can imnplement this kind of object programming but it would be helpful.
The Pascal logic engine is not object oriented.

[amberelectrics]

The best example I can think of at present is the new security command interface. If I could inherit the functions directly, I could override the methods etc and create my own. This would mean that interfacing to other none supported systems could be done easily and only require a single programme. All you would need to do is add in the correct function set.

Im sure this could be applied to other areas such as audio, hvac or irrigation where direct communication with non cbus hardware is achieved using RS232 or eth.

However, as you say, its not object oriented so not too sure how this could be done.

[ICS-GS]

Would this also verify the toolkit project changes as well????

[ICS-GS]

Sorry to keep flogging this thread to death BUT....:p

It would be really nice to add a check box next to each module to enable it to run (and unchecked not to run), so if a module is 'under construction' or needs some research, we can transfer any other changes which have been made in the session to the CTC / PAC.

Or possibly a module group called "development world" where any module which is being edited, or not yet been compiled. can be kept within the PICED software and not transferred to the unit.

WHY...

At present, if you compile a module that has an error, you cannot transfer to the unit (i think, but either way you get error messages). and if you have made various changes to several modules in the session and only one has an error you do not have time to correct, before transferring to the unit, you can rest safe in the thought the logic engine is not trying to run some 'buggy' code.

This would also ease the my mind and the minds of other installers who may be pestered by end users as to "unusual behavior since you were last here", and them questioning themselves as there is a bit of code not functioning quite as they would like.

BTW the workaround i currently use is to cut the text out of the logic editor into word or notepad, until it works.

Just another 2 cents worth...

Thanks

Grant

[ICS-GS]

Sorry to keep flogging this thread to death BUT....:p

It would be really nice to add a check box next to each module to enable it to run (and unchecked not to run), so if a module is 'under construction' or needs some research, we can transfer any other changes which have been made in the session to the CTC / PAC.

Or possibly a module group called "development world" where any module which is being edited, or not yet been compiled. can be kept within the PICED software and not transferred to the unit.

WHY...

At present, if you compile a module that has an error, you cannot transfer to the unit (i think, but either way you get error messages). and if you have made various changes to several modules in the session and only one has an error but you do not have time to correct it, before transferring to the unit, you simply disable it and rest safe in the thought the logic engine is not trying to run some 'buggy' code.

This would also ease the my mind and the minds of other installers who may be pestered by end users as to "unusual behavior since you were last here", and them questioning themselves as there is a bit of code not functioning quite as they would like.

BTW the workaround i currently use is to cut the text out of the logic editor into word or notepad, until it works.

Just another 2 cents worth...

Thanks

Grant