Which AddOn Tools would you most like to see ?

[Chris Boss]

I have a number of AddOn tools for PB in (or may be in) development (some are well along in development, some are on the drawing board).

I can push some back on the "back burner" (so to speak) and others to the "top of the list" if need be. The real question is which tools have the most demand.

Heres the list (there is a Poll as well):

(1) Dialog Studio Designer

This designer goes where my utility Dialog Designer left off and has a number of advanced features, plus supports more controls. It generates code similiar to EZGUI and uses library (source) code to impliment an Event engine. This is a DDT Designer.

(2) Layout Designer

This Designer would be similiar to the above Designer, but instead of event based code similiar to EZGUI, it would generate pure DDT code with as little extra overhead as possible (no library code). Normal DDT Dialog Procedure and Callbacks would be used.

(3) EZGUI 5.0 professional

The next version of EZGUI Professional (uses runtime engine).
This version already has a number of exciting new features such as:
- Custom Control Engine (builtin superclassing engine for ownerdraw controls)
- Improved subclassing engine
- FormName shortcut "{ME}"
- Component Engine (this is very powerful and very high level)
(Components are reusable child forms treated like a single control)
- Improved Visual Design engine (better drag and drop)
- New ToolBarStrip control
- New fuller support for WM_PRINTCLIENT internally
- Now Copy Forms and controls to Bitmap
- Improved Sprite engine

(4) EZSprite 1.0

New standalone Sprite engine for use with DDT Graphic control.

(5) EZSprite Plus 1.0

Same Sprite engine as EZSprite, but with more features to support SDK style coding, such as simplified DC Drawing commands (convert a Static control into your own custom graphic control), Bitmap commands (ie. 32 Bit DIBs, draw Bitmaps easily, etc.), precision timing and more.

The following are actually some standalone tools which are based on existing EZGUI code from its runtime, which I am considering porting to standalone tools for use with DDT or SDK style apps.

(6) MCI control

This control makes working with MCI much, much easier, provides an EZ syntax, rather than use MCI commands directly and provides a window for video playback (its a real custom control).

(7) Drag and Drop engine

A engine which allows you to add many of the common drag and drop features in your DDT or SDK style apps. It would provide things like mouse drawing (called Rubberbanding), drag/drop objects (controls) including sizing and dragging. Real drag handles (a control) for developing WYSIWYG apps. And more.

(8) Shape/Hot Spot control

This control can display a number of filled and transparent shapes such as ellipses, rectangles, rounded rectangles and lines. The control (its a real window class) can also act like a hot spot control. The control is invisible (lets whats behind it show through, like a Graphic control for example or an Image control), but it still responds to mouse clicks. You can overlay a number of hotspot controls over a bitmap to create hot spots for user interaction.

(9) Region Builder

Not only generate a custom region on the fly based on a Bitmap which can be applied to any control or Form (creates non-rectangular windows), but also provide support for background drawing for the window using that bitmap.

This last tool is actually an existing VB app I wrote, which I am in the process of porting over to a PB app.

(10) CodeGen

CodeGen is more than a code clip library tool. Source code is stored as a template which defines user modifiable fields in it. When you select a code clip from a template, a dialog is displayed which asks you a number of questions (defined in template). You answer the questions (ie. how many of something, names you want to use for code variables or routines, etc.) and CodeGen generates the customized code for you. A single codeclip could possibly generate dozens, if not hundreds of variations of itself.

The tool was designed to be used with multiple programming languages, such as BASIC, C, HTML, JAVA etc. Others possibly could be used.

[Chris Boss]

The Poll allows multiple choices, but try to keep it down to 3 or less. Don't just select them all.

The Poll is private, so please everyone post your choices. No one will know it was you.

[Brice Manuel]

I voted, but I am disappointed by this post. It seems like one of the projects some of us were really looking forward to and depending on are potentially bordering on vaporware depending on how the poll turns out.

[Chris Boss]

Brice,

The Sprite products both are finished as far as the code is concerned. I am just working on the docs right now.

I wanted this feedback since right now I am a bit distracted, since my engine went on my car and I am in the process of doing a rebuild. The head is being worked on by a local shop, but I am doing the rest myself. I have been spending much of my free time researching how to rebuild the engine, actually doing the work, searching for good prices for tools, etc.

Actually this distraction has been twofold and quite long term.
If you doubt my honesty about this, you can follow the actual progress of my backyard mechanic work on the SaturnFans forums.

I spent about 6 months tracking down a problem with a service light code (P0172) (running very rich) :

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1346276#post1346276

Turned out to be a timing chain off one tooth.

Car ran great for a few months and not too long ago, the engine just died. You can follow the experience here:

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1524144#post1524144

Since for a few weeks my time will be limited because of this, I wanted some feedback from customers / potential customers about what to concentrate on first since I have a number of "irons in the fire" right now.

The feedback on this poll will be much appreciated, thank you!

[Brice Manuel]

I have been spending much of my free time researching how to rebuild the engine, actually doing the work, searching for good prices for tools, etc.

I would imagine this has been further complicated by the fact that Saturn is on the way out. Parts are probably going for a premium now.

[Chris Boss]

Actually Saturn (at least the older ones) are very well built cars with a long life span. It turns out mine has some engine work done on it, but who ever did it, didn't do a very good job (cracked a piston likely when installing it when putting new rings on).

They aren't perfect, but they are easier to work on than most. I have learned an awful lot about Saturn S series in the last few months and have a good understanding of many of the key components.

I can't afford to have others work on my cars (plus hard to find good mechanics), so I do as much as I possibly can myself, even things like putting on struts myself (did both of my cars in the lasy tear). I have a good grasp of OBD-II now (bought a nice, inexpensive scanner) as well.

Just wish I has a garage to work in. Not a lot of fun working outside, especially in the cold or rain.

I am partial to cars which are easy to work on, reliable and get excellent gas mileage. I have a 1990 geo Prism with 334,000 miles on it, which still gets 40 mpg (a manual tranny of course). My 96 Saturn SL2 gets close to 40 mpg as well (manual tranny and drive like a granny).

[Michael Mattias]

>researching how to rebuild the engine

I don't think there are any DDT statements for that; you'll have to use SDK-style.

[Chris Boss]

To all: Don't forget to vote on the poll if you haven't yet. The more who respond the more useful the poll.

[Chris Boss]

If you haven't answered this poll yet, please do.

The poll doesn't record your names either, so you have some privacy (no one needs to know who you are).

The more that answer the poll the better.

[Chris Boss]

Please the more who respond to this survey the better.
Especially DDT programmers, since a number of the products are targeted to DDT users (some even SDK users can use).

Read the description of each product above (first post) and check up to 3 products you would be most interested in.

[Brice Manuel]

I already voted, but I only voted for one thing. You could also put me down for a vote on #8

[Nick Luick]

Chris

Do you have or own the property to erect a garage ? They aren't that costly if you build it yourself or spread the construction out over a few years.

I chimed in here as your post took me back to the days when I did all my car repairs, some laying on cardboard with 12 inches of snow. Reading your post I could actually for a moment still feel the wrench sticking to my fingers changing my fuel pump.

[Chris Boss]

Not able to afford a garage right now.

At least there is no snow on the ground right now.

Many years ago I had to do a clutch job on a renault Lecar in the snow and it was freezing. I put a tarp over the car to make a tent, ran an electric cord and uses an electric heater to stay warm.

[Brice Manuel]

Many years ago I had to do a clutch job on a renault Lecar in the snow and it was freezing. I put a tarp over the car to make a tent, ran an electric cord and uses an electric heater to stay warm.

Are you sure you weren't using the tarp to hide the fact that you had a Le Car

[Steven Pringels 3]

Chris,

Maybe an idea for EZGUI 5.0. An exact copy of the property grid control that is used in Visual Basic or Visual Studio .NET ?

[Chris Boss]

Steven,

I don't know if you realize this or not, the EZGUI 4.0 Property Listbox control is a superclass of the listbox control, so you can work with it using any of the EZGUI or API commands that work with the normal listbox control. The PropertyList box control automatically uses the ownerdraw style and the actual drawing of the control is not done in the controls window procedure, but is done by the parent form (dialog) in the ownerdraw events. EZGUI simply traps those events and does the drawing automatically. What is nice though is that EZGUI still passes those events through to your app, so you can "draw on top of" what EZGUI draws.

This means you can process the %EZ_OwnerSize and %EZ_OwnerDraw events to customize the look of the control.

Also doing this won't cause any flicker, because EZGUI always draws ownerdraw stuff into a memory DC first and then BitBlts it to the controls window DC. This means that whatever you draw on top of what EZGUI draws in the %EZ_OwnerDraw event, is beging drawn into a memory DC and not a window DC. Once your app processes the %EZ_OwnerDraw event, then EZGUI BitBlt's that to the screen, so no flicker from the extra drawing.

Also EZGUI's subclassing engine works with the property listbox control so you can add features via subclassing to customize it more.

EZGUI does some of its tricks in the WM_COMMAND message too.

When the control generates the LBN_SELCHANGE notification message, EZGUI auto sends a message to the control to update that specific item so the child control appears (edit, combo, etc.).

In the EZGUI forums I can show you how to tap into that as well.

Try customizing the EZGUI property listbox before looking for an alternative.

[Chris Boss]

If you haven't answered this Poll yet, please do.
The more who answer the Poll the more valuable it is.