Feature Ideas: what changed

Revision 1 to 2. Removed lines have a minus sign; added lines have a plus sign.

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1	1		> Warning: This page is intended to collect ideas for features that could be included in FPC/Lazarus. Putting an idea here does not mean it WILL be put into FPC/Lazarus. It's just a place to gather ideas. Think of this as more of a wishlist.
2	2
3	3		If it is clear who is going to implement the feature, for example, because you have a patch or somebody on the mailing list volunteered to implement it, then it can be added to the [FPC/Lazarus Bugtracker](http://bugs.freepascal.org/), so it can be tracked and scheduled for a release.
4	4
5	5		If you really want to see a feature implemented urgently, have a look at [[Bounties]] to pay for development.
6	6
7	7		Tags: Wish, Wishes, Wishlist
8	8
9	9		# IDE
10	10
11	11		Features that could be included in the IDE
12	12
13	13		## An Integrated IDE
14	14
15	15		(Partly) done in 0.9.29: see [[Anchor Docking]]
16	16
17	17		> Warning: There are known bugs in the docking implementation. The Lazarus developers are aware of these and will be working on them if time permits. If you want to help speed this up by providing code, please get in touch on the Lazarus mailing list
18	18
19	19		There are too many windows in the IDE. The more features you use the more they pile up on your desktop and become hidden behind other windows. This is confusing for the newbie and otherwise a mess. Docking windows as found in some IDEs might seem to give flexibility however in practice it is a two dimensional solution. You accidentally undock a window and have it hanging on your mouse while you try to put it back where it was. It would be better to use conventional splitters and tab controls to put it all together into a logical layout.
20	20
21	21		- Associated windows should be converted to Frames and then placed on a single form or tab page on the main form
22	22		- 1\. There should be a Welcome Page having new project wizards, a list of recent projects, help and resources
23	23		- 2\. A Development tab containing sub tabs for code and for form design
24	24
25	25		:* a. Code tab including Code Explorer, Source Editor and Project Manager
26	26
27	27		:* b. Form design tab including Object Inspector, Form designer and Component Palette
28	28
29	29		- 3 Debug tab containing the Debug windows as Frames.
30	30
31	31		- 4 since an integrated IDE has less screen real estate, swapping in and out windows need to be easier.
32	32
33	33		:* a. Probably a view concept is needed (different layout in debug then in normal (debug)). Maybe differentiate dependning on the F12 state (designer visible) too.
34	34
35	35		:* b. Big missing feature is the ability to let tabs page in from the side (a tab system to the left and right from the screen, ideal for process manager). When such tab loses focus, it pops back.
36	36
37	37		## Auto-generated database form
38	38
39	39		If you have set up a TSQLQuery, it would be nice to be able to let the IDE autogenerate a from with appropriate controls for all fields. --BigChimp 16:39, 8 August 2014 (CEST)
40	40
41	41		## Easier Dragging & Dropping
42	42
43	43		### Ideas that have been implemented
44	44
45		-	Done in 0.9.29: Options / Form editor / Ask name on create <s>pool: after you add a component at Form, what is your next action? Editing Name/Caption in OI. Would be nice having OI focused and a key field like Name/Caption/Text selected. It would be very intuitive just having to type after dropping the component.</s>
	45	+	Done in 0.9.29: Options / Form editor / Ask name on create pool: after you add a component at Form, what is your next action? Editing Name/Caption in OI. Would be nice having OI focused and a key field like Name/Caption/Text selected. It would be very intuitive just having to type after dropping the component.
46	46
47	47		## Common
48	48
49	49		- enable menu access through access keys like under windows (i hate mouse sessions :o)
50	50
51	51		example: \<alt\>-\<f\> for file menu. Question: what operating system/widget set are you talking about?
52	52
53	53		### Ideas that have been implemented
54	54
55		-	- (Done in 1.1) <s>Open files in the same folder as the current tab editor, like SCite does, it's a bit annoying to navigate from folder to folder every time you need open a file related to the one we are editing at the moment.</s>
	55	+	- (Done in 1.1) Open files in the same folder as the current tab editor, like SCite does, it's a bit annoying to navigate from folder to folder every time you need open a file related to the one we are editing at the moment.
56	56
57	57		## Source Editor
58	58
59	59		- Multiple splitting (and close the split) the editor to horizontal and vertical views like with VIM, so I can do split for example Vertically, and inside do a split for Horizontal editor. And we can close each split by right click on the movable splitter and select it from a menu item.
60	60
61	61		- VIM keyboard support - require implementation of a command line like that can accept keyboards like with the VIM text editor.
62	62
63	63
64	64		A good example is Qt Creator: you press Alt+V+V and get into FakeVim mode, where most vim commands work
65	65
66	66		Question: what do you mean by keyboard? Another keyboard layout? Different shortcuts keys? Shortcut keys can already be defined via the Tools menu
67	67
68	68		- Multi linguistic spell checkers for strings and comments, using aspell, hspell, ispell etc... (aspell and hspell already have binding for FPC)
69	69
70	70		### Ideas that have been implemented
71	71
72		-	~~- (Done in 0.9.27) <s>When focusing/selecting one BEGIN the respective END should be in RED to show where it really ends.</s>~~
	72	+	- (Done in 0.9.27) When focusing/selecting one BEGIN the respective END should be in RED to show where it really ends.
73	73
74		-	~~- (Done in 0.9.29) <s> Movable tabs, so we can place tabs as we wish instead of keeping them where they where opened. </s>~~
	74	+	- (Done in 0.9.29) Movable tabs, so we can place tabs as we wish instead of keeping them where they where opened.
75	75
76		-	~~- (Done in 0.9.27) <s> Ability to have a way to fold code arbitrary by using comments with special chars such as </s>~~
	76	+	- (Done in 0.9.27) Ability to have a way to fold code arbitrary by using comments with special chars such as
77	77
78	78		`some code {% /* } <-- start folding `\
79	79		` more code`\
80	80		` ...`\
81	81		` ...`\
82	82		`and more code {% */ } <-- stop folding `
83	83
84		-	- Done: if you click on an error message, the cursor jumps to the code line in question and highlights it.<s>Color code on errors with special underline or some type of color that the user can select/change that will help to locate where the problem is (not instead of the error message that exists today).</s>
	84	+	- Done: if you click on an error message, the cursor jumps to the code line in question and highlights it.Color code on errors with special underline or some type of color that the user can select/change that will help to locate where the problem is (not instead of the error message that exists today).
85	85
86		-	~~- Done: see below <s>Ability to keep the string mark (that added to 0.9.27) of a word/selected string as permanent with a toggle of a menu item/key/toolbar or something</s>~~
	86	+	- Done: see below Ability to keep the string mark (that added to 0.9.27) of a word/selected string as permanent with a toggle of a menu item/key/toolbar or something
87	87
88	88
89	89		QUESTION: Does that refer to the "highlight all occurrences" of "word under caret"/"current selection"?
90	90
91	91		That is possible (try alt-M)
92	92
93		-	- (Done: Lazarus 1.0+: context-sensitive help is included with at least the windows installer. See [[Installing Help in the IDE]] <s>Inline help for a command/reserve word that the mouse cursor/keyboard caret are under that word (not instead of the tooltip that exists today when the mouse is hover the command/variable).</s>
	93	+	- (Done: Lazarus 1.0+: context-sensitive help is included with at least the windows installer. See [[Installing Help in the IDE]] Inline help for a command/reserve word that the mouse cursor/keyboard caret are under that word (not instead of the tooltip that exists today when the mouse is hover the command/variable).
94	94
95		-	- (Done) <s>When pressing on CTRL on a file/variable/type etc.. that we are trying to load, it will place a tooltip telling what is going to be opened (the file + the line number)</s> (The information is shown when hovering over the variable)
	95	+	- (Done) When pressing on CTRL on a file/variable/type etc.. that we are trying to load, it will place a tooltip telling what is going to be opened (the file + the line number) (The information is shown when hovering over the variable)
96	96
97		-	~~- Done in 0.9.29 <s>Ability to save and load color scheme for syntax highlight.</s>~~
	97	+	- Done in 0.9.29 Ability to save and load color scheme for syntax highlight.
98	98
99		-	- Done (present in at least 1.2): see Edit/Find in Files which has a replace option <s>Within the "Edit" menu, add an option called "Replace in files...", which allow find and replace text in all the units of the application, doing it at once.</s>
	99	+	- Done (present in at least 1.2): see Edit/Find in Files which has a replace option Within the "Edit" menu, add an option called "Replace in files...", which allow find and replace text in all the units of the application, doing it at once.
100	100
101	101		### Improvement of the menu and toolbars
102	102
103	103		- to allow end user customization
104	104		- to obtain more styled menu (similar as Shagrouni xp-menu style)
105	105
106	106		## Integrated and Working Debugger
107	107
108	108		Debugging from inside the IDE can be a frustrating process. I believe this is a combination of GDB being more C/C++ centric, or because it is a more generalized standalone debugger. Either way, I think the ultimate solution is to write a custom debugger for use with FPC and Lazarus IDE. This way it will be possible for the debugger to support ALL Object Pascal and Lazarus IDE requirements, or maybe even be compiled into the Lazarus IDE itself. GDB does support Object Pascal, but not nearly at the level it does with C/C++.
109	109
110	110		An IDE without sufficient debugging support is a hard sell to would-be contributors or Delphi converts. This might also have contributed to some of the negative comments received in the Delphi non-technical newsgroup. Make no mistake, I love the many unique IDE features Lazarus has to offer - it beats Delphi IDE by far.
111	111
112	112		Apart from the standard Lazarus debugging solution using gdb there are multiplle custom written debuggers, partly or completely implemented in Object Pascal:
113	113
114	114		- [[FpGdbmiDebugger]]: uses gdb but also adds Pascal code. In development, experimental; included with Lazarus
115	115		- [[FpDebug]]: Located at components\lazdebuggers\lazdebuggerfp\LazDebuggerFp.lkp Currently support Linux and Windows
116	116		- [Duby](http://sourceforge.net/projects/duby/): A research project on SourceForge.net.
117	117		- [fpdebug (fork of duby)](https://github.com/graemeg/fpdebug): It's a fork of Duby with some further development work. I didn't know about the name conflict with the Lazarus one though. The joys of the FP* prefix. :)
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119	119		Please try out these projects and contribute if you can.
120	120
121	121		## Object Inspector
122	122
123	123		### Search field
124	124
125	125		add a "search" text box at the top or bottom (preferred, maybe user settable) of Object Inspector to be able to search for a name or value (maybe with right click menu checkable options on whether Name or Value or both are searched) in the properties/events list
126	126
127	127		Question: What about sub properties?
128	128
129	129		### Recent page
130	130
131	131		add a "Recent" tab to Object Inspector apart from the "Favorites" one, would be more useful than the Favorites one since it's automatic (would keep all properties/events that have been edited \[fields that have either been changed or ENTER was pressed to CONFIRM/REset their current value - focus lost events shouldn't be considered editing if value of property/event field didn't change\])
132	132
133	133		Question: How are items removed from the list?
134	134
135	135		### Not registered component classes
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137	137		Add a field in the object inspector to allow specifying the real class that will be instantiated, with that will allow to uses derived classes without remake/link the IDE, of course the new fields for the real class will not be available to edit in designer. An example: We place a TEdit in a form, but we want to use a derived class we made that add a new field/property/method to TEdit and we will use that new field/property/method programming but in design time it's enough to work with TEdit, actually there is an option to change the class but only to another one that's already linked on the IDE.
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139	139		> Note: The class must be registered. This is needed for streaming and RTTI. If you don't want to register the real class, then register a fake class. It would be possible to create an artificial derived class from a registered component class on the fly. This has nothing to do with the OI. A dialog to manage all artificial classes must be implemented and a menu item must be added somewhere.
140	140
141	141		## Refactoring
142	142
143	143		### Global Variable/Method renaming
144	144
145		-	~~<s>Proper renaming (as in if I rename a field in an object it can change everything that uses it but NOT other stuff that happens to have the same name) -Plugwash</s>~~
	145	+	Proper renaming (as in if I rename a field in an object it can change everything that uses it but NOT other stuff that happens to have the same name) -Plugwash
146	146
147	147
148	148		Already implemented: See Source Editor -\> popup menu -\> refactoring -\> rename identifier
149	149
150	150		### Parameter Renaming in Methods
151	151
152	152		adding a parameter to a method (and updating everything that uses it) -Plugwash
153	153
154	154
155	155		How should that work? What should the IDE/codetools put as parameter at the places?
156	156
157	157
158	158		You specify that when you ask for the parameter to be added. Plugwash 05:09, 30 September 2006 (CEST)
159	159
160	160		For example, you add a parameter "b: boolean". The method is used a 100 times.
161	161
162	162		- Possibility 1: You add a default parameter too. No change to the using methods is needed.
163	163		- Possibility 2: You press compile and the compiler will jump to every occurence and you can decide, what to do.
164	164		- Possibility 3: A new dialog is added to the IDE, where you can specify to insert a ",false" at every occurence.
165	165		- Possibility 4: ?
166	166
167	167		Do you have 3 in mind or 4?
168	168
169	169		### Parameter reordering
170	170
171	171		like Delphi. A dialog to add, remove, reorder parameters of a function, method, property.
172	172
173	173		### Improvement of the IDE like GExperts does for Delphi
174	174
175		-	~~- Done: see Project/Publish project <s>Backup tool...</s>~~
	175	+	- Done: see Project/Publish project Backup tool...
176	176		- Tab : provision to set Tab spacing
177	177
178	178
179	179		Question: please indicate what you specifically miss in Tools/Editor/General/Tab and Indent
180	180
181	181		- Rename Components (where it is possible too, to fill some properties in this moment. f.e. Button: Caption, Width, Height, Action)
182	182
183	183		## I have a dream of components : Jedi
184	184
185	185		Sure I switch immediately from Delphi to Lazarus.
186	186
187	187		- The Jedi components are a mix of OS dependant, Borland dependant and architecture specific code. I doubt these will ever work on anything but windows/x86. (and maybe win64 with a bit shoehorning). Example: To use a string routine in the strings unit of JCL, you have to fix like 12 units, some of which poke around in the Borland specific debug code. And then you haven't even reached the units of the JVCL, besides this there is a [[licensing]] problem. Marcov 18:27, 4 October 2008 (CEST)
188	188		- A lot of Jedi code has been implemented in FPC already. Question: do you need more? What components exactly? --BigChimp 15:16, 28 March 2014 (CET)
189	189
190	190		## Code completion
191	191
192	192		### Create/Free objects
193	193
194	194		Declare an object myObj:TMyClass into a TForm class an type some Ctrl-Shift-Key, then the IDE adds a line myObj:=TMyClass.Create in FormCreate and myObj.Free in FormDestroy. -Rednaxel
195	195
196	196		### Add list properties
197	197
198	198		Declaring an indexed property like 'property Items\[i: integer\]: TAType' and using this feature (Ctrl-Shift-Key, Menu), should popup a dialog to setup some parameters and then it should add a private variable fItems: TFPList; (or 'array of' or TList or ^AType), create code in the constructor, destroy code in the destructor and access methods GetItems, SetItems.
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200	200		## Visual Form Inheritance
201	201
202	202		VFI (Visual From Inheritance) works in Lazarus but there are some missing features:
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204	204		- When ancestor and descendant are open in the IDE and a property of the ancestor is changed, then change the descendant too.
205	205
206	206		## Conditional Compiler Options
207	207
208	208		See [[Conditional Compiler Options]].
209	209
210	210		## Help
211	211
212	212		### A small tutorial for Object Oriented Programming
213	213
214	214		I wish to have in Lazarus as in Eclipse in the Help menu a Tutorial for Object Oriented Programming.
215	215
216	216		- This is a good idea, but I think a offline help browser is first required. Lucky for you, I already implemented such a beast, called [DocView](http://sourceforge.net/projects/fpgui/files/fpGUI/1.4/). :-) I also have a few old programming manuals around that could contribute to the contents. I know Borland released the OOP chapter what was included in the Turbo Pascal v5.5 & v6 manuals for everybody to use (freely downloadable). So maybe that will be the best place to start. A downloadable copy of the OOP Chapter can be found [here](http://geldenhuys.co.uk/articles/). I also have freely available INF e-books (viewable with DocView) that cover the introduction to Object Pascal and OOP programming (follow [this](http://geldenhuys.co.uk/~graemeg/inf_books/) link) --Ggeldenhuys 13:44, 29 November 2013 (GMT)
217	217		- Offline help has been included since Lazarus 1.0x with lhelp and the chm format. A help menu item that shows lhelp is included with Laz trunk. Maybe the .inf books could be converted to chm and included with the Lazarus installer --BigChimp 14:21, 30 November 2013 (CET)
218	218
219	219		## Better Macro support by making them easier to find
220	220
221	221		See the feature request [\#14558](http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=14558) in Mantis. In summary, add a button next to EditBox controls which support macro usage. Clicking the button will display a popup menu with available macros at that level and insert the selected macro into the EditBox at the cursor position.
222	222
223	223		## Copy and Paste Support for a lazy programmer (in properties-editor)
224	224
225		-	<s>Maybe it's by design (because of the same behaviour under win and mac)... but I think, it's a little bit of annoying. When I try to copy the chosen "name" of a component out of proterties-editor by selecting it and ctrl+c, I will not get the text of the name, but the object/component description itself (which is useless, I guess). There is not even a "copy" item in the context-menu. I use very long descriptive names for components (and variables) and it would be nice, to get these unhandy names somehow into the clipboard. KaLi 14:56, 30 June 2010 (CEST)</s>
	225	+	Maybe it's by design (because of the same behaviour under win and mac)... but I think, it's a little bit of annoying. When I try to copy the chosen "name" of a component out of proterties-editor by selecting it and ctrl+c, I will not get the text of the name, but the object/component description itself (which is useless, I guess). There is not even a "copy" item in the context-menu. I use very long descriptive names for components (and variables) and it would be nice, to get these unhandy names somehow into the clipboard. KaLi 14:56, 30 June 2010 (CEST)
226	226
227	227
228	228		This seems to work in 0.9.31, both Ctrl+C and via context-menu [Bart](http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/User:Bart)
229	229
230	230		## Code Library Window or Tab
231	231
232		-	~~<s>It would be great to have a built in location to store all those useful pieces of code. Ones that you have created, or found useful.~~
	232	+	It would be great to have a built in location to store all those useful pieces of code. Ones that you have created, or found useful.
233	233
234	234		My ideal feature list would be:
235	235
236	236		- Save and Load my personal code
237	237		- Attach Zip file ( useful for keeping a sample project, showing the code in use).
238	238		- Ability to Upload Code / zip to central online repository.
239	239		- Ability to synchronize or select repository code and download to my own code store.
240	240		- Code could be sectioned into well thought out categories, like Types of controls, Libraries, complete project examples, Tutorials, etc.
241	241		- A place to show the most recent code submitted by Category.
242	242
243	243		It would also be a good place to help people who need some assistance. I would have the following options:
244	244
245	245		- Option to Ask for help on a control or subject matter.
246	246		- Notification when a solution is uploaded to the repository.
247		-	~~- Maybe a points system rating the assistance given out of 10 ( 1 being not useful, 10 being just what I needed)</s>~~
	247	+	- Maybe a points system rating the assistance given out of 10 ( 1 being not useful, 10 being just what I needed)
248	248
249	249
250	250		The "Code Librarian" third party code library tool is available made by Lazarus forum user taazz. Helping him with incorporating these features (if he wants to) could be the best way of getting this functionality: <http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,22752.0.html> and <https://sourceforge.net/projects/codelibrarian/>
251	251
252	252		## Write and run unit tests from subpackage of project being tested
253	253
254	254		The main idea is to have ability to write and run Unit tests from a subpackage of main project. Please see [[Feature Ideas/UnitTests]]
255	255
256	256		# LCL
257	257
258	258		## Components
259	259
260	260		Components that are possible to make that will work across all platforms supported by Lazarus
261	261
262	262		- Do you mean customdrawn components? If so, that is already possible. I think the TStringGrid is a customdrawn component. Alternatively, look at [[fpGUI]] for a completely customdrawn GUI toolkit. --Ggeldenhuys 23:56, 30 September 2009 (CEST)
263	263
264	264		### Visual
265	265
266	266		- The existing TDBLookupComboBox, could be greatly enhanced by something like an ".IsFiltered property": If true, the control should reduce its list of visible (and hence selectable) values in the dropdown list by filtering the DataField by the current DBLookupComboBox while editing. This means, onChange (resulting in DBLookupComboBox.Text updated to someString) automatically reduces the list to SELECT lookup_field FROM lookup_table WHERE lookup_field LIKE %'+someString+'%. A feature like that would greatly enhance the usability of Lazarus made database applications!\
267	267		To illustrate this idea, compare other similar projects: [1](https://www.freelancer.com/projects/Delphi/Custom-Delphi-TDBLookupComboBox/) [2](https://www.devexpress.com/Support/Center/Question/Details/B196085/filtering-dataset-of-tcxdblookupcombobox) or [3](https://www.drupal.org/sandbox/jauzah/1748434), or this [screenshot](https://www.drupal.org/files/project-images/select2element_screen.jpg) .
268	268
269		-	- Already implemented [[Add Help to Your Application]]: <s>Help system for apps created by Laz! It is a plugin system. That's why it supports cross-platform help system and using the OS's native help system.</s>
	269	+	- Already implemented [[Add Help to Your Application]]: Help system for apps created by Laz! It is a plugin system. That's why it supports cross-platform help system and using the OS's native help system.
270	270
271	271		- The current LCL TStringGrid is a nice improvement over Delphi's feeble control with the same name. Would be great if it could be improved even more!
272		-	- <s>Support for data validation event handler, similar to Orpheus grid's OnUserValidation event.</s> There are many events, for example OnEditingDone, and OnValidateEntry to do this. See [[Grids Reference Page]] and [[Event order]]
	272	+	- Support for data validation event handler, similar to Orpheus grid's OnUserValidation event. There are many events, for example OnEditingDone, and OnValidateEntry to do this. See [[Grids Reference Page]] and [[Event order]]
273	273		- Support for retrieving, displaying, editing and storing data that are stored in an existing memory structure or in a file rather than in grid itself, similar to the Orpheus grid's OnGetCellData and OnGetCellAttributes events. There is the TTIGrid, that can show TCollection, TList and TFPList of TPersistent. What else do you need? Additionally, you can bind a TBufDataset to a dbgrid...
274	274		- A TImage component wich support transparent winxp alpha 32 bit icon images
275		-	- <s>Support for RightToLeft BidiMode.</s> Fixed in 0.9.31 according to <http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=18918>. Bug report tracking all RTL/Bidi: <http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=19303> If there are still bugs, please report them to the bug tracker.
	275	+	- Support for RightToLeft BidiMode. Fixed in 0.9.31 according to <http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=18918>. Bug report tracking all RTL/Bidi: <http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=19303> If there are still bugs, please report them to the bug tracker.
276	276		- TTrayIcon
277	277		- Add a TImageList property in TTrayIcon to change TrayIcon icon or animate it
278	278
279	279		### NonVisual
280	280
281		-	- Clipboard and <s>TTimer</s> that don't depend on LCL. If you use these in a library or console app, the compiler drags in a lot of unused and unneeded LCL code. If you have multiple DLL's, this code is duplicated in each. Current implementations appear to follow the Delphi design approach, where Clipboard and TTimer have dependencies on the VCL - this probably wasn't necessary.
	281	+	- Clipboard and TTimer that don't depend on LCL. If you use these in a library or console app, the compiler drags in a lot of unused and unneeded LCL code. If you have multiple DLL's, this code is duplicated in each. Current implementations appear to follow the Delphi design approach, where Clipboard and TTimer have dependencies on the VCL - this probably wasn't necessary.
282	282		- TfpTimer is a non-LCL timer already available in FPC in unit fptimer.pp. Online help is available [here](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/fcl/fptimer/index.html). --Ggeldenhuys 14:38, 2 September 2009 (CEST)
283	283		- This may be true on Windows, but it´s False for Linux. I recently implemented TTimer for qt interface and the implementation calls Qt API. I think the same applies to Clipboard, since the clipboard depends on the widgetset used too (gtk or qt for example), not only on the operating system. --Sekelsenmat 20:40, 5 Mar 2006 (CET)
284	284		- The LCL is a visual component library. None visual components are provided by the FCL.
285	285		- Lazarus will only provide components based on the LCL.
286	286
287	287		## PDA Support
288	288
289	289		Something that currently does not exist is a complete multiplatform solution for PDAs. If we can implement this, Lazarus will become the first multiplatform RAD for PDAs ever created. Some devices work with Java, some work with c++ and Qtopia, some work with their particular APIs, there is no single solution currently that can embrace a large portion of PDAs. Application have to be redone for every PDA or simply just run on one of them (what most people do).
290	290
291	291		The LCL implements many things. It is not necessary to implement them all to have a reasonably working Lazarus PDA widgetset. The most important things to be implementeded for PDAs are:
292	292
293	293		- TApplication
294	294		- TForm
295	295		- TScreen
296	296		- TCanvas and painting
297	297		- Most Events (onClick and OnPaint at least)
298	298		- Basic widgets like: TButton, TLabel, TEdit, TMemo.
299	299		- Only minimum necessary LCLIntf functions to make TCanvas work. (GetDC, ReleaseDC, BeginPaint, EndPaint and some painting functions)
300	300
301	301		Others can be easily implemented by people who need them after those are ready.
302	302
303	303		Here is a list of some PDAs and the status of their support on Free Pascal / Lazarus:
304	304
305	305		- Windows CE - The compiler already works really well cross compiling for Windows CE. The [[Windows CE Interface]] is under implementation.
306	306		- Symbian OS - Possible for their ARM devices. Requires first adding a new Runtime Library for this OS to the Compiler. This OS has it's own API. There are open source projects for python and c to work on Symbian OS, so Free Pascal should work as well when a RTL is written.
307	307		- Qtopia - For Zaurus and other linux-based PDAs. This is much easier now that basic Qt4 widgetset has being implemented, because Qtopia is very similar to Qt4. Some magick on the bindings is expected to make the same widgetset code to run for both Qtopia and Qt4.
308	308		- Java - Some handheld devices, specially phones, only support java bytecode. May seam a little odd, but there is a Pascal Compiler capable of compiling the source into a jar and then into bytecode. It's name is Midlet Pascal <http://www.midletpascal.com/> It may be possible to develop a similar technology that adds a java bytecode target for Free Pascal. Some people already start porting midletpascal to delphi <http://forum.boolean.name/attachment.php?attachmentid=7975&d=1255392966>, follow instructions on <http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/forum/index.php?topic=5466.0> to access it.
309	309		- Palm OS - PalmOS 5 Garnet support requires that first the 68k compiler is working (runs on ARM processor with a kind of emulation) and then a RTL for palmos needs to be written. Only Free Pascal 1.0 supports 68k, this wasn't updated and the new compiler 2.0 doesn't support it yet (work in progress by [[fpc:User:Chain-Q]]), so will be a problem.
310	310
311	311		PalmOS 6 Cobalt is fully arm, so it only requires a rtl, but it has zero devices working on it currently and won't be on the market until 2007 at least.
312	312
313	313		Other compilers that support this target: [Pascal & Palm Compiler](http://www.ppcompiler.org) and [HsPascal](http://hspascal.fihl.net/). Unfortunately those compilers are not open source, so we can't use their code, we need to implement PalmOS RTL from zero.
314	314
315	315		## More Interfaces
316	316
317		-	~~- Cocoa - <s>Requires that first OpenSTEP bindings are created for Free Pascal.</s> Cocoa interface support has been started; see [[Cocoa Interface]]~~
	317	+	- Cocoa - Requires that first OpenSTEP bindings are created for Free Pascal. Cocoa interface support has been started; see [[Cocoa Interface]]
318	318		- BeAPI - interface for Haiku, ZetaOS and BeOS. There is no powerful RAD on this OS.
319	319		- Bindings to the BeAPI has been started - though not part of the Lazarus project. Have a look at SourceForge [befpc](http://befpc.sourceforge.net/) project.
320	320		- [SDL](http://www.libsdl.org) - something like what was done in [Pixel Image Editor](http://www.kanzelsberger.com/pixel/).
321	321		- MacApp 2.0 - For 68k-based Mac computers. MacApp was Apple Computer's primary object oriented application framework for the Mac OS for much of the 1990s. First released in 1985, it is arguably the first such system to be widely used, notably on a microcomputer platform. Microsoft's MFC and Borland's OWL were both based directly on MacApp concepts. This framework was completely written on Object Pascal, so it should integrate really nicely with Free Pascal and Lazarus. When Apple moved to PowerPC it also dropped Object Pascal support, but that's another story. A emulator for 68k-Mac can be easely set up with [BasiliskII](http://basilisk.cebix.net/). There is also a project called MacApp2PPC that upgraded MacApp pascal code to run on Power PCs.
322	322		- OS/2 native - Free Pascal works well with OS/2, so this should be quite possible.
323		-	~~- <s>Solaris - OpenSolaris versions exist and it's quite similar to Linux so why not ?</s> For information on the Solaris port of Lazarus, see: [[Lazarus on Solaris]]~~
	323	+	- Solaris - OpenSolaris versions exist and it's quite similar to Linux so why not ? For information on the Solaris port of Lazarus, see: [[Lazarus on Solaris]]
324	324		- Web Interface - Application compiles to an embedded HTTP Server who serves forms in ajax pages (or compiles it to an Apache Module), like Intraweb in Delphi. Discussion in <http://www.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=2489>
325		-	- Already implemented: <s>[fpGUI](http://fpgui.sourceforge.net/) - A widget set written in Free Pascal without any large library requirements. fpGUI talks directly to the underlying graphics library and is very easy to port to new platforms. Currently it supports Linux, ARM-Linux, FreeBSD, Windows and WinCE.</s> - Under development here: [[fpGUI Interface]]
	325	+	- Already implemented: [fpGUI](http://fpgui.sourceforge.net/) - A widget set written in Free Pascal without any large library requirements. fpGUI talks directly to the underlying graphics library and is very easy to port to new platforms. Currently it supports Linux, ARM-Linux, FreeBSD, Windows and WinCE. - Under development here: [[fpGUI Interface]]
326	326
327	327		### improved EventQueue
328	328
329	329		- [[Lazarus improved Event Queue]]
330	330
331	331		### Lua
332	332
333	333		- Support for Lua interfacing. (Binary modules?)
334	334		- What is Lua interfacing? Is it a graphical widgetset? What is the difference between what you want and is supplied by the lua units of fpc: <http://svn.freepascal.org/svn/fpc/trunk/packages/lua/>
335	335		- Perhaps the poster wanted to use the Lua scripting language to access the LCL widgetset. Had a quick look at the FPC lua package mentioned above: no readme, no test, no demo, so not easy to see what that package does/can do. Perhaps it can be used as-is to do what the poster wants; in that case, some additional samples/documentation may be handy. BigChimp, September 2012
336	336
337	337		# Visual Improvements
338	338
339	339		## An idea for a splash screen
340	340
341		-	~~<figure>~~
342		-	~~<img src="splash_logo2_.png‎" title="splash_logo2_.png‎" />~~
343		-	~~<figcaption>splash_logo2_.png‎</figcaption>~~
344		-	~~</figure>~~
	341	+	![](/wiki-images/e/ea/Splash_logo2_.png%E2%80%8E)
345	342
346	343		The font for "write once..." is DejaVue Serif Condensed, for "Lazarus" is Phantom, and for "object pascal" is Tahoma.
347	344
348	345		If you want to change the splash logo on Windows, in your main Lazarus installation folder find "images" folder and there find "splash_logo.bat". Then edit and run it or replace "splash_logo.png" and run "splash_logo.bat".
349	346
350	347		### critique
351	348
352	349		- as if people's desktops are not already cluttered to the max... not desirable
353	350
354	351		# FPC
355	352
356	353		## Per-type Byte Alignment
357	354
358	355		A means to align variables and records in a unit is already possible with compiler directives, but is somewhat messy and might cause conflicts in some situations. What I propose is an addition to the Free Pascal syntax that forces all variables of a defined type to be aligned to a particular boundary. e.g.
359	356
360	357		``` pascal
361	358		type
362	359		AlignedDouble = Double align 16;
363	360
364	361		type
365	362		TVector4f = packed record
366	363		X, Y, Z, W: Single;
367	364		end align 16;
368	365
369	366		type
370	367		TVector4fArray = array of TVector4f align 32;
371	368		{ tighter restrictions than TVector4f, so it's okay. Note that this should probably align Var[0] to a 32-byte boundary, not necessarily Var as a whole }
372	369		```
373	370
374	371		Such aligned types are useful and even necessary for when working with SSE and AVX, where significant speed gains can be achieved with aligned data (and some operations require it).
375	372
376	373		Apparently Delphi supports something like this already, but it isn't well-documented.
377	374
378	375		### Nuances
379	376
380	377		- The exact syntax.
381	378		- Cross-platform support. Do all platforms support memory alignment?
382	379		- Exact error messages or behaviour if you specify a non-power of 2 alignment.
383	380		- What happens if you try to typecast an unaligned variable to an aligned type? (Aligned to unaligned should be fine)
384	381		- What happens if you try to typecast a pointer to an unaligned type to a pointer to an aligned type?
385	382		- What happens if you, say, declare a type aligned to 16 bytes, and then declare another type that is equal to it but is only aligned to 8 bytes?
386	383		- What happens if you, say, declare a type aligned to 16 bytes, then use it as a field in a record type, aligned or otherwise?
387	384
388	385		CuriousKit ([[User talk:CuriousKit\|talk]]) 18:28, 5 December 2017 (CET)
389	386
390	387		## "vectorcall;" modifier for Win32 and Win64
391	388
392	389		This function modifier is the only unique modifier for Win64 (although it can be used in Win32 too), introduced by Microsoft at the behest of game developers who wish to reduce the overhead of passing vectors and the like into subroutines. The basic details are the same as the regular Win64 calling convention, but attempt to vectorise certain record types and pass them in their entirety through a single XMM register (something which is already possible in Linux64 sometimes). Details can be found here: <https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn375768.aspx>
393	390
394	391		This may require the byte alignment feature described above.
395	392
396	393
397	394		vectorcall is implemented in (the upcoming) fpc 3.2 for the win64 platform. Bart
398	395
399	396		### Nuances
400	397
401	398		- What happens if it is used on a platform other than Win32 or Win64? Does a compiler error occur or is it ignored with a warning?
402	399
403	400		CuriousKit ([[User talk:CuriousKit\|talk]]) 23:04, 5 December 2017 (CET)
404	401
405	402		- - It is ignored with a warning. Bart ([[User talk:Bart\|talk]]) 17:43, 20 December 2022 (CET)
406	403
407	404		- As an example of prior art I think Vector Pascal[1](https://sourceforge.net/projects/vectorpascalcom/) is noteworthy. MarkMLl ([[User talk:MarkMLl\|talk]]) 09:12, 6 December 2017 (CET)
408	405
409	406		## "default"-value in a proc or function call
410	407
411	408		- There is a limitation in the freepascal-Syntax where you can not depend on the default-parameter lefthand from an explicit parameter. I suggest a possibility where you can say "default" in a function-call, and set other parameters at the same time.
412	409
413	410		``` pascal
414	411		program DefaultParameter;
415	412
416	413		{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
417	414
418	415		type
419	416		Pilots = (Charles, Amelia, Belly, Louis);
420	417
421	418		procedure Fly(Pilot: Pilots = Belly; Copilot: Pilots = Charles);
422	419		begin
423	420		if (Pilot=Copilot) then
424	421		halt(1);
425	422		end;
426	423
427	424		begin
428	425		Fly; // we fly with Belly+Charles
429	426		Fly(); // we fly with Belly+Charles
430	427		Fly(Amelia); // we fly with Amelia+Charles
431	428		Fly(Louis, Belly);
432	429
433	430		// The following "default" is my Feature Idea
434	431		// │
435	432		// v
436	433		Fly(default, Amelia); // we fly with Belly+Amelia
437	434		end.
438	435		```
439	436
440	437		### Critique
441	438
442	439		- If such a feature should exist, wouldn't it be more straightforward to simply not specify anything before the comma? (i.e. "Fly(, Amelia);") CuriousKit ([[User talk:CuriousKit\|talk]]) 14:50, 7 December 2017 (CET)
443	440
444	441		## "pure;" function directive
445	442
446	443		I propose a new directive keyword that can be specified for functions, named pure. Its intention is to act as a hint to the compiler that the function is fully self-contained, has no side-effects (although the compiler will actually check if this is the case) and is guaranteed to return the same output for a given input. An example would be the Int function, which returns the input value with the fractional part stripped off, and nothing else.
447	444
448	445		So what would be the advantage of a function being 'pure'? With a pure function, if the input values are constants, then the output(s) will also be constants, hence they can be pre-calculated during compilation and the function call completely replaced with an assignment, offering a massive speed boost and providing a sort of general-purpose means of doing what some internal compiler routines do in regards to replacing calls with static values.
449	446
450	447		There are potentially two ways that the compiler can determine if a function is pure:
451	448
452	449		- Perform deep analysis of the pre-compiled assembly language, almost like an emulator (platform-dependent, but will allow pure assembler routines to be considered for function purity, which may be beneficial for operations such as ROL, ROR, BSF and BSR).
453	450		- Run the subroutine's source code through PascalScript (largely platform-independent), and if unresolved reference errors occur, then the function can be considered impure.
454	451
455	452		In this case, the pure keyword gives a hint to the compiler as to which procedures to check for purity, so it doesn't waste a potentially long time on routines that the programmer already knows are impure.
456	453
457	454		If a function is marked as pure but it turns out not to be, the compiler throws a warning much like what happens if it's marked as inline, but something makes it an invalid candidate. The following paradigms would make a function a non-eligible candidate:
458	455
459	456		- Reading from or writing to external memory (including static and global variables)
460	457		- Reading from or writing to I/O
461	458		- Contains var parameters (since, by definition, they cannot be a constant)
462	459		- Dereferencing a pointer (which also means object methods cannot be made pure, including constructor and destructor since, by definition, they allocate and deallocate memory related to object instantiation. I don't think class methods can be pure either) - the only exception to this are out parameters, since their type and size are tightly controlled and the dereferencing is effectively hidden from the programmer anyway.
463	460		- Allocating or deallocating memory
464	461		- Obtaining the address of something (using the @ operator)
465	462		- Calling another function (unless that function is also pure, in which case, pre-computing an output becomes a recursive operation. Note that actual recursion, where a function calls itself, is allowed and may be required in places... for example, with an implementation of a factorial function)
466	463		- There are code paths where uninitialized values can be read (this includes reading an out parameter prior to writing to it).
467	464
468	465		There are probably other things that prevent a function from being pure.
469	466
470	467		pure will generally only be used on functions; procedure is nevertheless valid because the output may be an out parameter, so long as the procedure's body follows all of the rules of a pure function.
471	468
472	469		### Nuances
473	470
474	471		- What happens if the pre-computation of an output value would cause an exception to be raised (e.g. division by zero)?
475	472		- What happens if the pre-computation would cause an infinite loop? How well can this be detected via finite state analysis rather than a timeout? (It's likely very difficult to do it purely via finite states - see [Turing's Halting Problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halting_problem)).
476	473		- What happens if a constant is declared to equal a pure function (e.g. "const QuarterPi = atan(1);" if atan is declared and proven pure). On the surface this seems perfectly valid, but what happens if optimizations are turned off?
477	474
478	475		CuriousKit ([[User talk:CuriousKit\|talk]]) 01:20, 17 June 2018 (CEST)
479	476
480	477		## Support for Traits
481	478
482	479		As a user who never got warm with the concept of interfaces, I'd like to suggest support for traits [2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trait_(computer_programming)).
483	480
484	481		## Support for Promises
485	482
486	483		I know there are TThread.ExecuteInThread, Synchronize, Queue, etc. But JavaScript's promises [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futures_and_promises) are so intuitively to use that I'd love to see support in FPC. Could be an enormously handy feature when dealing with tasks for which, on the one hand, TThread would be overdimensioned, but on the other hand, doing the task in the main thread would on the other hand cause lags. I'm especially thinking about web requests, loading data from a file (which could be on a network drive), etc.
487	484
488	485		# Other
489	486
490	487		## Fixes branch releases
491	488
492		-	Already done: <s>Currently we only have snapshots of the fixes branch, and it would be nice to also have them as releases. To have releases, those builds would have to be tested by someone, so I volunteer for that. What is needed is a testing checklist, and the start of it can be found on my page, User:Arny. Any further ideas are welcome!</s>
	489	+	Already done: Currently we only have snapshots of the fixes branch, and it would be nice to also have them as releases. To have releases, those builds would have to be tested by someone, so I volunteer for that. What is needed is a testing checklist, and the start of it can be found on my page, User:Arny. Any further ideas are welcome!
493	490
494	491		- This is already done and maintained for v0.9.28 onwards of Lazarus. Downloads of fixes releases are available on SourceForge.
495	492
496	493		## See Also
497	494
498	495		- [[Bounties]] - A way to make sure your feature idea is implemented.
499	496		- [[How do I create a bug report]] general information on submitting bugs, what should be covered in a bug report, and using the bug tracker.
500	497		- [[Tips on writing bug reports]] detailed information on what should be covered in a bug report.
501	498		- [[Database bug reporting]] Specific info and sample programs for database bugs
502	499		- [[Moderating the bug tracker]]
503	500
504	501		---
505	502		From the Free Pascal wiki, page "Feature Ideas", as it stood on 2022-12-20 after a change by Bart, out of the wiki's dump of 2024-05-26. Copyright stays with the author who wrote it, according to the old wiki's [[Licensing]] page. If you have concerns about this material, [message the admin](/wiki-contact).
506	503		Category: Lazarus
507	504		Category: Proposals

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