Using C18 from other IDE's

[HerbertMunch]

Hi,

Im sick and tired of using MPLAB.
its way too messy, with too many windows opened all over the place. Loosing windows behind others soon becomes extremely tedious.

Does anyone know of any other IDE's that C18 works with?

Ive tried ultra edit studio, but i cant seem to get the compiler to work with it, even though it mentions the Microchip Compiler.

Many thanks.

 

[Pommie]

I don't know of any. My solution was to buy a 22" monitor that runs at 1680*1050 and I can now arrange the windows so there usable and readable.

Mike.

 

[3v0]

uC development is a complex, there are a lot of things to keep track of.

If you have to use a smaller monitor work on finding an workspace arrangement that works for you. As a last resort you can cascade the windows.

I did the same as Mike. Like the 22in a bunch. Was going to use it and one of the 19in CRTs and opted just to use the 22.

 

[HerbertMunch]

thanks for the advice.

Im inherently messy myself, so working with mplab in any configuration will cause me grief.
I just wish that there was someway of using visual studio, as this is the best IDE that i have ever used.

Cheers,
Chris.

 

[HerbertMunch]

Maybe a workaround would be to create a loader for MPLAB, and use WINAPI to set the various child window locations. Maybe even implement some crude docking.

anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[futz]

In case you didn't know, you can quickly flip through the open windows in a project with Ctrl/Tab. (To flip through open programs in Windows use Alt/Tab).

Ctrl/F4 closes the current active project window.

There are other shortcuts, but I can't think of em right now. Too early.

 

[futz]

Maybe a workaround would be to create a loader for MPLAB, and use WINAPI to set the various child window locations. Maybe even implement some crude docking.

anyone have any thoughts on that?

When MPLAB closes it offers to save the workspace. If you do that then when you re-open it it opens exactly as you left it. So lay out the windows to suit you and save on close. Simple.

There's also an option in the setup menus to have it open the project you last worked on on startup. Nice time saver. Works great.

The big widescreen (16:10 aspect ratio) LCD monitors (22") are wonderful. You have almost enough real estate to get things done without constantly shuffling windows. I have three and I can never go back to crappy CRT's. Even my best old CRT (nice aperture grill unit) looks blurry to me now. I have one 19" (5:4 aspect ratio) non-widescreen LCD and I don't like it anymore either. Too small.

I have a 20" widescreen LCD that uses same resolution as the 22" ones, 1680x1050. It's a bit small. The pixels are smaller, as they'd have to be, so you have to have it a bit closer to you to see well (old eyes).

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Wow, I do most of my work on a tiny laptop with 1024x768. Forces you to keep somewhat organized.

 

[HerbertMunch]

Wow, I do most of my work on a tiny laptop with 1024x768. Forces you to keep somewhat organized.

Organised is not who I am! believe me, i wish i was

 

[HerbertMunch]

You should see my workbench!

 

[HerbertMunch]

oh yeah, futz thanks for the tips .

 

[Mike - K8LH]

Are you using "tabbed windows" in the MPLAB editor?

 

[HerbertMunch]

Are you using "tabbed windows" in the MPLAB editor?

No, I wasn't.
but I will be from now on! If i had a hat, I'd take it off to you

I had no idea that the editor properties window even existed. They had hidden it under an obscure right click properties menu!

Reputation++;

Cheers mate

 

[HerbertMunch]

There also a wealth of other stuff in this menu!

Microchip provides a primitive form of intellisence!

nice one.

 

[Mike - K8LH]

You're welcome Chris.

 

[3v0]

I too like Visual Studio.

When I have a lot of editing to do I open the file I want to edit in Visual Studio C+. I have the same file open in both MPLAB and studio. On the MPLAB side you can configure it to update the file when it is changed outside MPLAB. Studio asked you if you want to update it when changed outside studio, may be an setting to not ask but I did not find it yet.

 

[aussiepoof]

MPLAB's editor sucks rocks... and as I run MPLAB under Linux I use emacs to edit my code and switch to the MPLAB window to hit F10 to build. I then use git as source code control and all is well.

Paul

 

[HerbertMunch]

I have been toying with using two programs at once, but i allways seem to forget to switch back into the nice IDE!