Optional PICAXE commands entry method using buttons

[Pauldesign]

Hi Rev-Edu

Since PICAXE programming is command based and has lots of commands, i'm suggesting a feature be added to PICAXE Programming Editor where by, the various commands can be alternatively written in the PE source code by just clicking on the commands (may be grouped and displayed on an optional dialogue box in the form of buttons) rather than a PICAXER be typing them every time. All the PICAXER have to do next is to just type numbers or edit it.

E.g the command; Toggle and can be entered in the source code by just clicking on Toggle say in the commands button dialogue box; then the user just have to type say 0

E.g the command "SERIN [timeout,address], pin,baudmode,(qualifier...),{#}variable,{#}variable" can be entered by just clicking on Serin in the commands button box; then the PICAXER can just edit it or delete what he/she doesn't wants

The above method of entering codes in PE might save time and syntax errors esp when writing a long code.

Just a thought.

 

[BeanieBots]

If that ever is adopted, I hope it can be switched off.
Personally, I couldn't think of anything more annoying

The Sinclair spectrum had a similar methodology where each command was on a single button and it really drove me up the wall. For example, when the cursor was in the appropriate place and you wanted to type "goto", pressing "g" would write the word "Goto" and I'd then finish it off and end up with "Gotooto". Took me much longer to keep correcting the "typos".

The PE has syntax checking and colour coding which IMHO is more than enough.
For complex versions of BASIC such VB6, the ability to have a pull-down of the various options that come post the command had some merit for those commands with which the programmer was not very familiar but I can't see that helping out very much with the PICAXE implementation of BASIC.
Just my thoughts on the idea

 

[PerthEng]

Seems to me that if is trying to be somewhat akin to the flow charting.

While TOGGLE may be easy and the user alony need append a pin number

What about SERIN, if clicking on the SERIN button gives just “SERIN” then one still has a lot more to add if it adds some default timeout and address then many times the user wastes more time to delete parts that are not wanted.

Then there is all the swapping between mouse actions to initiate clicking on a command in a toolbar and then switching to keyboard to complete the program line.

There was a “short-cut”/turbo replacement ROM for the Commodore 64 similar to what BaenieBots describes for the Spectum. That was great in the day when the variation in command parameters was often minimal plus it was all keyboard based.

Personally, I do not see any advantage in such a scheme as Pauldesign proposes and like BeanieBots, think that if implemented I would want the default condition/mode for that feature to be “OFF” as the PE starts.