ProvideX Editor

The ProvideX Editor is an advanced text editor with dedicated features for ProvideX source code development. The editor is tightly integrated with the ProvideX Outline view. This view changes as the structure of the ProvideX source code changes.

There are many features of this editor that make developing ProvideX programs much easier and faster. Many of these features can be controlled through the settings on the editor preference pages.

Syntax Color and Style

The Editor provides configurable syntax highlighting. The following ProvideX elements are rendered in unique colors and text styles (bold, italic, etc):

Content Assist

While editing a file in the ProvideX editor there are several triggers that will activate content assist.

For example, below is the a completion proposal and the context information for the DIALOGUE mnemonic that displayed automatically after a short pause when entering the code. The arrow keys can be used to move through the list of proposals. The list will be adjusted as the program code is entered, to show the items that match the information already entered.

An argument completion proposal is also available for System Functions, Directives, and Mnemonics. As you type, the current argument will be highlighted in bold.

The content assist window will also appear with a list of the Attributes, Functions, and Line Labels declared in the current ProvideX class or program

Context Information

The context information displayed along side the completion proposals above for ProvideX Directives, System Functions, System Variables and Mnemonics are available at any time in the editor by simply highlighting the keyword and hovering over it.

Block Comments

It is very easy to comment a block of code in the ProvideX Editor. There are two methods that can be used...

C-Style Block Comment
This approach can be used when the block of code (or other information) should not appear in the compiled program.

When the program is loaded into memory and listed, there will be a gap in the line number sequence that matches the lines that are in this block comment.

Pop-up Menu option 'Add Comment (REM)'

This approach can be used when the block of code (or other information) should be kept in the compiled program. Simply select the lines to be included in the block of comments, press the right mouse button to access the pop-up menu, and select the option 'Add Comment (REM)'.

When the program is loaded into memory and listed, the lines that are in this block of comments will be included.

Strip Line Numbers

Many older application programs were written using line numbers. When these programs are imported into a new project using the ProvideX Plug-in for Eclipse, the line numbers would probably be kept to make the transition easier.

If, at a later time, it is decided that the line numbers are no longer required in the source file, they can be easily removed using the Editor pop-up menu option 'Strip Line Numbers'. The settings in the 'Import / Convert' Preference page are used to control this process; these preferences are discussed in more detail in the "Preferences" section of this documentation.


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