Plato/IDE annoyances

Hi there, I have a few issues with the latest FTN95 IDE etc.

1. Quite a lot of the time I rebuild my project and in the 'output' window I see 'Linking...' - and doesn't progress to 'Creating executable: ?????' and 'Linking complete' I have left it for an hour or so, several times, but it is just stuck there. I have tried quitting Plato then deleting ALL '.MOD' files, the 'link.lst' file, the 'ErrorLog' file, the 'BuildLog' file, the '*.ini' file and ALL '.obj' files, before loading the project again into Plato, all to no avail. After an unknown length of time I return to Plato and Rebuild and it works. I have also tried rebooting and doesn't always work. I can reboot my PC, then delete all of the above files, so I only have the 'Project.ftn95p' file and the source files available - but still nada.

2. The source-file tabs are now coloured and even though the source-file that I am working on is 'highlighted' I personally find it difficult to make out that it is - I much prefer the tabs NOT to be coloured. Is there a way of making them plain?

3. In Plato, when I have more source-files than 'the' window is able to put tabs up for, sometimes the far left/right tab no longer displays the text within it.

4. If one goes into the debugger, then upon exiting it one cannot continue to edit the source-files. When one thereafter attempts to exit Plato a message appears with 'Are you sure you want to terminate the current debugging process?'. Well, I thought that I had already done so when I clicked on the debugger's 'Red X'. There is no tab in the taskbar and no process in TaskManager to indicate that the debugger is still running.

5. Within the 'Output' window (compilation/build window) the text sometimes messes up/ breaks up; some lines are missing and one has to scroll for it/them to reappear.

I am spending 99% of my time dealing with these issues rather than writing software.

Help appreciated

Regards Marz

There are lots of issues here and I won't attempt to deal with all of them.

1. If you have a project with a large number of files then you should try switching off the dependency checking (look in the Project menu).

2. In the Options dialog box you will find an option to switch off the tab colouring.

3. If there is a problem with viewing the tabs, I wonder why it is necessary to have so many files open at one time.

4. When exiting from the debugger, it can happen that the exe continues to run (if it is stuck in an infinite loop). Look in the Task Manager and kill the process from there if necessary.

5. If all else fails (with really tricky bugs in your code) it sometimes becomes necessary to comoile and link from a command line in a DOS box. At least then you will know if Plato really is at fault.

I appreciate any attempt to deal with any of the issues 😮)

4.

1. Before entering the debugger TaskManager shows that pertinent exes running are:

1. Plato.exe

2. After entering the debugger, TaskManager shows that pertinent exes running are:

1. Plato.exe
2. sdbg.exe
3. MyProg.exe

3. After exiting the debugger, TaskManager shows that pertinent exes running are:

1. Plato.exe

5. What's a bug? hehe

1. Project loaded: If I untick 'Use coloured file tabs' then click on 'OK', the tabs remain coloured. If I then exit Plato and then reload it then 'Use coloured file tabs' becomes ticked.

2. Project not loaded: If I untick 'Use coloured file tabs' then exit Plato and then reload it then 'Use coloured file tabs' becomes ticked.

3. Project not loaded: If I untick 'Use coloured file tabs' then load a project the tabs are coloured, but the 'Use coloured file tabs' remains unticked.

Regards Marz

It looks like you are running Windows 7 (or Vista?) and having problems reading Plato.ini. To solve this problem either a) run Plato 'As administrator' or b) move Plato and its data files away from 'Program Files'.

Hello Paul,

I am running Windows XP Home 😮)

I shall attempt (b) soon.

I found that Plato threw me a curve-ball with:

1. Quite a lot of the time I rebuild my project and in the 'output' window I see 'Linking...' - and doesn't progress to 'Creating executable: ?????' and 'Linking complete' I have left it for an hour or so, several times, but it is just stuck there. I have tried quitting Plato then deleting ALL '.MOD' files, the 'link.lst' file, the 'ErrorLog' file, the 'BuildLog' file, the '*.ini' file and ALL '.obj' files, before loading the project again into Plato, all to no avail. After an unknown length of time I return to Plato and Rebuild and it works. I have also tried rebooting and doesn't always work. I can reboot my PC, then delete all of the above files, so I only have the 'Project.ftn95p' file and the source files available - but still nada.

I found that the 'problem' is associated with:

5. Within the 'Output' window (compilation/build window) the text sometimes messes up/ breaks up; some lines are missing and one has to scroll for it/them to reappear.

If I scroll the output-window then it shows the usual:

Compilation completed with no errors. Linking... Creating executable: CheckMate\Win32\Programexe Linking completed.

😮)

I have managed work out what is going on with regards to point (4).

When I exit the debugger I cannot immediately begin editing the source-code again, even by clicking/selecting the text in the source's window. I find that selecting a menu-option, such as 'Build' and then clicking back in the source-window does not let me continue without the need to quit Plato. It's not ideal, but it's far less frustrating.

Marz

I don't know why this is happening but you can try changing 'Integrate with SDBG' (presumably switching it off) from the Options dialog that comes up from the Tools menu. Then SDBG will run as a stand-alone process.

Sorry,

' I find that selecting a menu-option, such as 'Build' and then clicking back in the source-window DOES NOT let me continue without the need to quit Plato.'

was meant to read as:

' I find that selecting a menu-option, such as 'Build' and then clicking back in the source-window DOES let me continue without the need to quit Plato.'

For now I am happy to continue in this way 😮)

Marz