Minor UI enhancement request -- Long Coding Helper

   #1  

jphughan

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I've just started using VCDS and am very impressed, but I have a small UI enhancement request related to the Long Coding helper interface. If I select a byte, the value turns yellow and then I see the byte number and binary value underneath, along with options to change its value. But if I click the dropdown menu to view other possible values, the byte reverts to green, just like all other bytes. When trying to look through bytes one at a time, this means it becomes very easy to lose track of where I was. It's especially difficult because the value of the currently selected byte is shown in binary, while the values above are expressed in hex, so there isn't even an easy way to visually scan the byte values at the top to find the one that matches what I selected. I would therefore suggest one of the following UI changes:

- Allow the currently selected byte to remain yellow even if the user selects the dropdown or a checkbox beneath it.
- (My preference) Include sequential numbering above or below the hex byte value boxes. That way, when VCDS shows "Byte 7", I can quickly find Byte 7 in the row of hex values above.

Apologies if I'm missing something that already exists in the UI to assist with this. It's my first day. :)
 
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vwparts

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I have looked at it, got scared and backed out hahaha....no idea how to use it
 
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TBAx

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There is also another little quirk related to dropdowns.. I mostly navigate VCDS and LCode with the keyboard while doing thinks with the mouse/touchpad where it is faster.

When opening a dropdown menu and then trying to select an element from the list with the up and down arrow keys it redirects the input from the dropdown to the main form which results in changing the currently selected byte. Sometimes this also breaks which checkboxes (generated from the label files) are shown and them results in overlapping descriptions.

I am not too fond of how this should be addressed; maybe changing bytes should be done with other keys, such as pgdn and pgup, maybe it would be enough to don‘t redirect from the dropdown to the form, if one is active?

@Niels / @NEtech can possibly take a look at these.
 
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darkchina811

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I am not completely sure I understand all this but I am sure about one thing: when I open a drop-down menu to see options for bits, I often lose track of what byte I am looking at.
 
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NEtech

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When trying to look through bytes one at a time, this means it becomes very easy to lose track of where I was. It's especially difficult because the value of the currently selected byte is shown in binary, while the values above are expressed in hex, so there isn't even an easy way to visually scan the byte values at the top to find the one that matches what I selected.
The quickest way to go through available Bytes, is press Arrow Down on keyboard.
At item 3) you see the active Byte in yellow (don't look at Binary value unless you need to change it manually (that is not often)).


Allow the currently selected byte to remain yellow even if the user selects (the dropdown) or a checkbox beneath it.
When changing checkbox, the active Byte (at item 3) ) has always been yellow.

A test version with changes is available here.
It is not perfect, but a little improvement.

Small demo video here.
 
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Zenerdiode

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I think what our OP is saying; and also demonstrated in your little video, is when the ComboBox is selected, the ‘active byte’ looses Focus and reverts to green at that point. When the line in the ComboBox is selected, ComboBox closes and Focus jumps back to the active byte whereby it turns back yellow again. I think he wants it to stay yellow throughout the ComboBox selection process.
 
   #7  

hadez16

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It would be absolutely fantastic if LCode.ini could store the last preference of label file extension. Some use LBL, others XPL.
This changed recently from XPL to LBL and I'm struggling with it...
 
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NEtech

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It does that, since the last time discussed, I think.
Use
Extension=xpl
or
Extension=lbl
 
   #9  

hadez16

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It does that, since the last time discussed, I think.
Use
Extension=xpl
or
Extension=lbl

Thank you very much.
But this is something I have to manually add after each VCDS update because LCode.exe does not write that line by itself?
 
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