Alvaro wrote:Hi Derek,
Thanks for your positive feedback. I’m glad that you find this tool useful.
I have to say that first version of AutoCode (v1.0) was written about 2003, before CodeSnippets came with Visual Studio. Version v2.0 was released on 2004, just before VS 2005. When VS 2005 launched and so CodeSnippets I thought it was going to be the last version of AutoCode.
When I started using VS2005 and CodeSnippets I missed many of the functionality of AutoCode 2.0 so decided to adapt it to VS2005. I thought it was going to be just compiling the source code into VS2005 but it wasn’t so simple, so took me some time. Time enough to have another vision of the tool and decide to throw it all and rewrite everything from the beginning. That was two years ago.
When I had the first “runable” version of AutoCode 2005 (at the beginning of last year) I started using it and modifying it with new features as I needed, but didn’t find the moment to publish it. At the same time I had the need for publishing a first release so other people could safe time programming as I was.
I’m of the opinion that a software product is never finished, but abandoned, so I realized that I wasn’t stabilizing the product (it should be after months fixing it on demand), but adding more and more features.
Finally I decided to abandon, packet, and released it so other people could code faster and enjoy making their own commands.
So when I hear comments as yours I really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Alvaro
Hi Alvaro, please to meet you. It's being going for a while!! Understand what you say about drawing a line and releasing it. You can work forever on a piece of software.
I've had another play around and I'm starting to understand how its working, it's kind of like a mix between code snippets and Visual Studio macros, accessible through text commands. Thats really goo,d the best of both worlds there. I could see people thinking that maybe autocode isn't necessary because of code snippets / macros but I'll tell you I don't use code snippets and setting up and running macros in order to code faster doesn't seem to be the norm either. I have used autocodes region command to death already and just coded an APM command, so as far as I'm concerned its better. It's a excellent piece of kit.
I see areas where it can be improved though like for example the helper methods I posted, also most people don't know how the Visual Studio's DTE interfaces work, so having helpers that hide the need to learn DTE and Visual Studio macro writting would be excellent. I notice it's almost like you have created Visual Studio Macros in C# as well. Also documentation as well, its annoying isn't it writting documentation, and I have seen some but tell you I can't quite work out the difference between the codes, script, execute and render elements. Most of the other information I suppose would be using the DTE but other people have written books on that.
I do like it. It does save time.