Looking for TextPad editor help

dpechacek - Tue Sep 15 07:02:38 EDT 2009
I'm using Sodius' DXL plugin for Eclipse right now. Extremely well done so far despite only being a beta.

AAI Services, Textron
dpechacek@aai.textron.com
David.Pechacek@gmail.com

pete.kowalski - Tue Sep 15 11:45:52 EDT 2009
David,

How did you get this? I mean is there an open beta for this plug-in? I am interested to learn more.

Thanks.

Lee_Bost - Tue Sep 15 12:01:25 EDT 2009
You can get the syntax file form Textpad's website. It toward the bottom of the list.

http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/syna2g.html

Also Simon Morrish has an update to 8.1 that you can get from the following link.

http://www.smartdxl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=83&sid=c8a75ac7262d4b56ed26d074243a6f4f

Lee_Bost - Tue Sep 15 09:17:47 EDT 2009
We use TextPad as the our editor and there are just a few steps that you need to do to get it work.

1) Put the DOORS syntax file in the folder with the other syntax files. For our version of TextPad this is the folder C:\Program Files\TextPad 4\System\.

2) Next open TextPad and select from the menu Configure --> New Document Class...

3) From here follow the dialog and create a new document class for the DOORS files. At some point during the dialog there should be a place to select syntax checking and then you will need to select the DOORS syntax file for it to use. you should find it in the dropdown list if the syntax file is in the right location (step 1).

Once these steps are complete you should be able to open a DXL file and see the syntax colors.

As for a newer DXL syntax file, I have not seen one and I have not had the time to update the one I have. Maybe someone out there has.

Hopefully this helps.
Lee

RNeale - Thu Sep 17 12:14:27 EDT 2009
Hi, Thanks!

The problem was that the TextPad website installation instructions were wrong. They were telling me to put the syntax file in SAMPLES folder, not in the system folder.

I have one more question pertaining to this.
I would like to be able to have TextPad interact with the DOORS DXL compiler. Is there anyway to do this?

Thanks again!! It works, Yea!

RNeale - Thu Sep 17 12:14:27 EDT 2009
Hi, Thanks!

The problem was that the TextPad website installation instructions were wrong. They were telling me to put the syntax file in SAMPLES folder, not in the system folder.

I have one more question pertaining to this.
I would like to be able to have TextPad interact with the DOORS DXL compiler. Is there anyway to do this?

Thanks again!! It works, Yea!

Lee_Bost - Thu Sep 17 15:38:30 EDT 2009
I don't know of a way to get TextPad to interact with DOORS. The best thing would probably be the editor/compiler from Sodius for that level of connection. But I understand all the company hoops you have to jump through just to get it. We have the same problem.

RNeale - Thu Sep 17 20:14:51 EDT 2009
Hi Lee,

After looking at our list of approved software. There does seem to be an open source software development tool called Eclipse on it. I am not familiar with it however. I did go to what I believe was the Eclipse Website. Could you tell me more? If I can manage to find us a more usable DOORS DXL development situation, we here would be very pleased.

tcapelle - Fri Sep 18 03:26:05 EDT 2009
Hi Lee and Renee - I'd be interested in knowing what it takes for you to get the approvals to install a new piece of software. There may be things I can do (or maybe not :<). If eclipse is on your list, that is a great start. Install it (for example this configuration : http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/technology/epp/downloads/release/galileo/R/eclipse-java-galileo-win32.zip), and from inside eclipse you can add our plugins.

-Tom

tcapelle - Fri Sep 18 03:26:05 EDT 2009
Hi Lee and Renee - I'd be interested in knowing what it takes for you to get the approvals to install a new piece of software. There may be things I can do (or maybe not :<). If eclipse is on your list, that is a great start. Install it (for example this configuration : http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/technology/epp/downloads/release/galileo/R/eclipse-java-galileo-win32.zip), and from inside eclipse you can add our plugins.

-Tom

SystemAdmin - Wed Aug 10 09:38:21 EDT 2011
Hi RNeale,

I think one, or more, of the guys has answered your question about the DXL syntax file.
I was able to get it to work as well. So, now I have nice pretty colors for my DXL.
However, I would like to know if there is anyway to get it to interface with
Doors to be able to run the script.
I don't see why this could nto be done.
Or is there a way to "force" Doors to use the TextPad editor instead of it's own.
now that would be really nice too.
Either way would be WAY better than the DXL editor.
I don't need to create project folders, file folders, and all this other stuff just to
edit one DXL program and such. Some of the other editors make it so cumbersome just to be able
to edit one stupid DXL file. I just want to be able to open the DXL file, have it come up
identifying syntax and such, and ideally be able to run it.
Maybe I am missing the idea with liek Eclipse, but it just seems cumbersome to me. MHO.
Jerry

LindyEd - Wed Aug 10 10:30:06 EDT 2011
A simple way to avoid the DXL editor is to use include statements. When you open up the built in DOORS DXL editor, type in an include statement pointing to the script you want to edit like the following:

#include <\DoorsScripts\includes\ScriptName.dxl>

Obviously your path and filename in the above will be different. Leave that open and then use whatever editor you like (we use Crimson) and all you have to do is hit the Run button after each change you want to test.

We do the same thing for our all our layout DXL columns so in that situation all you have to do is reload the view.

We actually rarely use the built in editor at all because we have our "user" scripts attached to menu items and "admin" scripts attached to menus that are only available to our administrators. This way, we just edit in Crimson and run the menu selection.

This method is not a true integration but it is effective and cheap (free).

LindyEd - Wed Aug 10 10:30:06 EDT 2011
A simple way to avoid the DXL editor is to use include statements. When you open up the built in DOORS DXL editor, type in an include statement pointing to the script you want to edit like the following:

#include <\DoorsScripts\includes\ScriptName.dxl>

Obviously your path and filename in the above will be different. Leave that open and then use whatever editor you like (we use Crimson) and all you have to do is hit the Run button after each change you want to test.

We do the same thing for our all our layout DXL columns so in that situation all you have to do is reload the view.

We actually rarely use the built in editor at all because we have our "user" scripts attached to menu items and "admin" scripts attached to menus that are only available to our administrators. This way, we just edit in Crimson and run the menu selection.

This method is not a true integration but it is effective and cheap (free).

llandale - Wed Aug 10 14:59:38 EDT 2011
That's what I do. "#include" also allows you to manually set the context of the script, current Project/Folder/ usually Module and often Object. Setting the context from the editor seems cumbersome to me. current = folder("/MyProj/MyFolder"); mod = read() bla bla bla.

I don't like scrolling through the thin DXL window for DXL errors since the window is only about the size of 1.5 errors (including the 'included-from' paths); but then again I usually just fix one or two errors and try again. Editors that can "send" to DOORS can "retrieve" the errors and present them nicely.

However, we've had serious issues with using $include statements in Layouts/AttrDXL/Triggers, since it presumes the target server is available to all users of DOORS, and if not you get lots of unavoidable annoying DXL errors that demand attention. For small deployments its workable, for larger ones its not. Does every DOORS user REALLY have access to "//MyServer/DOORS/Deployed-DXL/Addins/Layouts"?

• Louie

Mathias Mamsch - Thu Aug 11 09:02:54 EDT 2011
Hey Louie,

just a hint from my side, regarding the Errors on opening the module. I once experimented with a database wide "on open" trigger, which just contained the code "noError()" which was able to avoid the 'missing includes' errors when opening a module.

It will make the missing includes fail silently (at least I remember it did) and allow the people to open the modules without having to click those error messages away. Well I guess failing silently is also not a good thing, but well ... What do you think, any other bad effects?

Regards, Mathias

llandale - Sun Aug 14 19:28:18 EDT 2011

I just now tried that and it didn't work.

Trigger trg
string NameTrig = "NoError"
string DXL = "print \"" NameTrig "\\n\";noError()"
print DXL "\n"
 
 
for trg in database do
{  if (name(trg) == NameTrig)
    {  delete(trg)
       infoBox("Trigger " NameTrig "  Deleted")
       halt
    }
}
trigger(NameTrig,project->all->module->all, pre, open, 5,DXL)
infoBox ("Trigger " NameTrig "  Deployed")

The default module view has a layout #including a now gone file. When I open the module it prints the name of the trigger proving this code is running, but I still get the #include errors. That makes sense since #include is calculated before any DXL runs; and seems to me then would be excempt from noError().

Most of my dxl now remembers the current AutoDeclare setting and then turns it on; and resets it back at the end. This at least rids those silly errors when opening a bunch of modules. Also, sadly, I tend to remember the current Trigger settings and turn them off as well; just in case someone deployed a module trigger that demands attention, or more seriously closes the module.

Maybe we could play with the logfile command. Your database wide pre-open-module trigger remembers the current setting and sets it to some temp file. A sibling post-open-module trigger reestablishes the original setting (somehow).

Or of course the Goodman approach: test the default view for all modules and if it contains an #include reference, delete it ..err.. I mean remove it's default status.

• Louie