Thread: IDE for C embedded advanced editing

  1. #1
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    IDE for C embedded advanced editing

    Hello 'C friends', I'm Alessandro and I'm new in this board.

    I'm a software engineer from Italy and I'm an embedded developer.

    With embedded, the problem is that often you must change your developer IDE, and so I'm searching a good and flexible IDE.

    Until now I have used Ultra Edit.

    But Ultraedit has only one BIG limit: there is no "intelligent auto compete".

    So I have thought to buy a ne big brother of Ultraedit: UEStudio.

    But fortunately, I have tried it before and... SSSS........TTT!! ItelliTips (the autocomplete engine of UEStudio) is really a BIG BIG ......... Too bugged and too approximative.

    So, I'm searching a good alternative (open source or commercial).

    The features I need are:

    Block-Column Selection
    Virtual space
    Struct/Function autocomplete
    Compare tool (if it's possible)

    Utile now I have tried a lot of programs:

    From Notepad++ to Slickedit, from Textpad to Scite.The only editor that is working like I would is VIM. (with right plugin). But the problem is that Vim is TOO HARD to use for me. I'm serching something of visual, and not a "console editor".

    Thanks
    Alessandro

  2. #2
    spurious conceit MK27's Avatar
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    "gvim" (the GUI version) is a bit nicer than console vim and might make it easier for you since there are conventional drop down menus and a toolbar. Also gvim has tabs

    It still works using modes ("insert" and "command", etc), if you find that confusing or awkward. On the other hand, after a week or so you will probably get the hang of it, which might be worthwhile -- IMO those modes add a lot of functionality that would be impossible otherwise. Vim has a strong legacy and a very substantial user base, is always available on any *nix system, and being comfortable with it is great in situations where you must use a console editor.

    Cboard has a support thread for vim:
    http://cboard.cprogramming.com/progr...al-thread.html
    Last edited by MK27; 01-14-2010 at 05:17 PM.
    C programming resources:
    GNU C Function and Macro Index -- glibc reference manual
    The C Book -- nice online learner guide
    Current ISO draft standard
    CCAN -- new CPAN like open source library repository
    3 (different) GNU debugger tutorials: #1 -- #2 -- #3
    cpwiki -- our wiki on sourceforge

  3. #3
    Woof, woof! zacs7's Avatar
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    vim also has tabs. IMO the biggest benefit of gvim over vim is the colour support... which you can get in vim anyway (depending on your terminal).

    You should try and avoid using the gvim menus anyway, since it's rather odd to be using the mouse (or the keyboard I guess...) to access the menus when there are shortcuts to do everything.

    If you want something more visual, then perhaps try Scintilla and SciTE

  4. #4
    spurious conceit MK27's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zacs7 View Post
    vim also has tabs.
    Egads look at that, yer right

    IMO the biggest benefit of gvim over vim is the colour support... which you can get in vim anyway (depending on your terminal).
    The reason I switched over recently is because of cut n' paste functionality with the mouse (like as in, between applications) -- if you use line numbers and this stuff: |__|__, that gets included via the console, but not in the GUI. Also, mouse cuts in the GUI will use "visual" mode, whereas in a terminal, it uses the terminal's functionality and not vim's.

    Also, you can position the cursor with the mouse in the GUI! Still miss transparent backgrounds tho

    You should try and avoid using the gvim menus anyway, since it's rather odd to be using the mouse (or the keyboard I guess...) to access the menus when there are shortcuts to do everything.
    Sure, that's true of a lot of software, but it probably helps new users ease their way in.
    Last edited by MK27; 01-15-2010 at 08:18 AM.
    C programming resources:
    GNU C Function and Macro Index -- glibc reference manual
    The C Book -- nice online learner guide
    Current ISO draft standard
    CCAN -- new CPAN like open source library repository
    3 (different) GNU debugger tutorials: #1 -- #2 -- #3
    cpwiki -- our wiki on sourceforge

  5. #5
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    >> So, I'm searching a good alternative (open source or commercial).

    Visual Studio 2008 Professional

    >> From Notepad++ to Slickedit, from Textpad to Scite.The only editor that is working like I would is VIM.

    You mean to say SlickEdit doesn't work for you? Wow.
    SlickEdit is within certain circles (e.g. mine) the best GUI IDE ever created by mankind.

    >> The only editor that is working like I would is VIM.

    You know when you fart and you actually like the smell of your own fart while everyone else runs away from you? That's VIM. Only people that like it are those that work on it since they remember themselves. VIM is one big wet fart.
    Last edited by Mario F.; 01-14-2010 at 06:25 PM.
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

  6. #6
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    Talking

    Thanks for your answers.

    I have tried many editors and I give you some examples:

    - All editors derived from Scintilla (like SciTe) cannot handle virtual space
    - Notepad++ use ctags but I don't know why, the plug in don't work very well with the members of the structs
    - JEdit don't handle virtual space
    - Slick edit is almost perfect: ONLY THE BLOCK SELECTION and BLOCK EDITING is working VERY VERY BAD!!

    For my editing experience, Ultraedit is a good editor, but CTAGS integration and Intellytips are really really BAD.

    So... It's paradoxical... I cannot find a Text Editor that have this 3 things all together:

    Block-Column Selection/Editing
    Virtual space
    Struct/Function autocomplete (like intellisense or intellitips)

    Or better, I have not found something good until now!! :-D

  7. #7
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    Ok, I love to use the full reached editor called EMACS, If u want, you can give a try to it.

  8. #8
    spurious conceit MK27's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Undici77 View Post
    I cannot find a Text Editor that have this 3 things all together:

    Block-Column Selection/Editing
    Virtual space
    Struct/Function autocomplete (like intellisense or intellitips)
    VIM does all three:
    1) Block editing is possible in -- VISUAL BLOCK -- mode (which is not the same as plain ol' VISUAL)
    2) Virtual space set virtualedit=all (see Vim documentation: usr_25)
    3) autocompletion is available thru various plugins

    Yet, you say VIM is "too hard". So maybe you want a more simple, easy to use editor? But then it is too simple because it doesn't do all the complicated things you want to do!

    I think you should write your own editor, Goldilocks
    Last edited by MK27; 01-15-2010 at 07:18 AM.
    C programming resources:
    GNU C Function and Macro Index -- glibc reference manual
    The C Book -- nice online learner guide
    Current ISO draft standard
    CCAN -- new CPAN like open source library repository
    3 (different) GNU debugger tutorials: #1 -- #2 -- #3
    cpwiki -- our wiki on sourceforge

  9. #9
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    I'm curious as to why you want column-mode editing...
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

  10. #10
    spurious conceit MK27's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mario F. View Post
    I'm curious as to why you want column-mode editing...
    I don't use it much, but when I do, it saves a whole heck of a lot of time doing mindless things. Eg, if you have a very long array of interleaved values, and you type it out like a table for readability,

    Code:
    a1,a1,a1, b1,b1,b1, c1,c1,c1,
    a2,a2,a2, b2,b2,b2, c2,c2,c2
    then you want to remove or modify all the interleaved "b" values. A lot of command fall into visual blocks, actually:
    Code:
           mystruct.ray[0] = 1;
           mystruct.ray[1] = 10;
           mystruct.ray[2] = 33;
    You could use an appropriate search/replace regexp here to change any element, but sometimes a visual block is easier (sometimes it is the only choice).

    You know Mario -- just fartin' around type programming
    Last edited by MK27; 01-15-2010 at 08:06 AM.
    C programming resources:
    GNU C Function and Macro Index -- glibc reference manual
    The C Book -- nice online learner guide
    Current ISO draft standard
    CCAN -- new CPAN like open source library repository
    3 (different) GNU debugger tutorials: #1 -- #2 -- #3
    cpwiki -- our wiki on sourceforge

  11. #11
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    Hi Alessandro,

    Sorry to hear you are having issues with SlickEdit.

    "Slick edit is almost perfect: ONLY THE BLOCK SELECTION and BLOCK EDITING is working VERY VERY BAD!!"

    What kind of issues were you experienceing? That's exactly what I use SlickEdit for, especially with HTML tables. How is it not working for you?

    Just send me an email to [email protected] and I will see what I can do.

    We also have a very large and active SlickEdit User Forum located here: SlickEdit Community - Index It's a great resource for when you are having problems with SlickEdit or just want to learn new tips and tricks.

    Thanks and look forward to hearing from you.

    Jason Jones
    SlickEdit

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    @RockyMarrone: I have tried EMACS but I have not found Column mode/editing

    @MK27: I Know that Vim has everything!! And much more!! But the problem is the interface. When you born with a editor like UltraEdit, it's hard to use VIM. And the problem is that I'm a software Engineer and the switch to VIM need (I think) around 2 weeks before to be "productive" like before. But I REPEAT: I know... Vim has everything that a software engineer is searching!!

    @Mario F.: MK27 was enough clear: Column Mode/Editing is really useful for editing ARRAY and/or COPING Data in a Column format.

    @SlickEdit: The problem (for me) in slickedit this: I'm a Column Mode Lover. And Often I need to take this modality ALWAIS ON!! But I have not found a way. Every time I'm doing an operation, I'm back to the normal mode. But maybe, I will find something useful in the slickedit community!! Thanks!!

  13. #13
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Undici77 View Post
    @Mario F.: MK27 was enough clear: Column Mode/Editing is really useful for editing ARRAY and/or COPING Data in a Column format.
    I didn't ask what it's good for. Everyone knows. I wanted to know why you need it in your IDE?

    I know of no type of programming that demands this as a feature you can't live with, as it seems to be the case. On all my years of programming, any need for column editing has been episodic at best. And easily dealt with an external editor and copy/paste. For this to be one of your most important requirements, must be you are doing some type of programming or using some type of programming language I never heard of before.
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

  14. #14
    Registered User jeffcobb's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Mario F.;918907]>> So, I'm searching a good alternative (open source or commercial).

    Visual Studio 2008 Professional

    /QUOTE]

    Mario: what embedded architectures does VS 2008 (or any version) support? ARM? Motorola 68K? This is an honest question; if it supports anything other than Windows then I would be more than happy to change my estimation of that tool...

    And yes, I do think VIM folk hang around each other because they all have the same tolerance level for pain...J/K MK27, put the rail-gun away...


    My only issue with SlickEdit is that I have two versions of it, lost the serials for both and now have two useless yet paid-for editors...(one for Windows and one for Linux). I know, the loss of the serial numbers is my own fault, blame it on moving house alot but at the end of the day thats the situation.....I may compile my editor (EMACS) but I don't have to keep track of the license info to use it... ^__^

    Oh and speaking of which EMACS does support column editing I just use it so rarely I forget the cmd to do so.......
    C/C++ Environment: GNU CC/Emacs
    Make system: CMake
    Debuggers: Valgrind/GDB

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    MSVC support Windows CE, that's about it.

    I don't think you can do microcontroller programming with it.

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