#1153 Right-aligned FilePaths in ThreadSearch

[Tiger Beard]

The features aims to improve usability during debug when using the Thread Search.
However, it could also be applied to Build Log and Build message window.

thread search window today:

• column "File path" shows the full file path of all found places and is often very long.
• the file paths are left aligned
• when made smaller the begin of the file paths are visible. Often they are the same for all list items.

thread search window after suggested change:

• column "File path" show the same
• the file paths are right aligned
• when made smaller the end of the file paths are visible. Even when very small the different file names can be distinguished.

See the tow images to illustrate the feature request

1. image: it shows a debug situation after a search o "show all occurrances of..". When the file names should be visible almost no space is left for the "Text" column
2. image: it shows the same situation with the first column resized to only see the filenames "EmptyApp.cpp" and "EmptyMain.cpp" if the file paths would be right aligned. The "Test" column provides a lot more information.

I believe this change would save a lot of resizing interaction with this window during debug.

Note: If the same would be applied to the BuildMessage window (which has even longer "Text" lines") it would improve usability during builds a lot as well.

[Miguel Gimenez]

I don't know if your feature request will be accepted, but meanwhile you can change it in your local copy:

void ThreadSearchLoggerList::SetListColumns()
{
    m_pListLog->ClearAll();

    m_pListLog->InsertColumn(ListColumns::FilePath, _("File path"), wxLIST_FORMAT_LEFT, 100);
    m_pListLog->InsertColumn(ListColumns::Line, _("Line"), wxLIST_FORMAT_RIGHT, 50);
    m_pListLog->InsertColumn(ListColumns::Text, _("Text"), wxLIST_FORMAT_LEFT, 500);
}

[Tiger Beard]

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

[Tiger Beard]

Unfortunately it does not work as intended. The colum is right aligned, but when the column is resized and gets smaller than its content, the text always starts at the begin which fails to deliver the desired effect
The line column that has been right aligned before has the same behaviour.

Maybe this is rather a wxListCtrl issue than a CodeBlocks issue, because its counter-intuitive from what the user expects?

[Miguel Gimenez]

wxListCtrl on MSW uses the ListCtrl common control in comctl32.dll, so it should have the same behaviour (this also prevents owner drawing the cell). The better solution would be changing the wxListCtrl to a wxGrid. nothing too difficult but not a trivial change.

[Tiger Beard]

Didn't check on Windows. Even it that would be behaving differently it would be only half a solution. Do you know that wxGrid would behave differently or is it since it allows owner drawing?

[Miguel Gimenez]

I don't know on Linux, but at least on Windows when you run the wxGrid sample columns G to J do what you want.

[Miguel Gimenez]

On MSW the first column of wxListCtrl ignores the supplied alignment and always use left align.
Linux uses a "generic implementation".

[Miguel Gimenez]

BTW, ThreadSearch allows changing the wxListCtrl to a tree or an STC list, may be they are more useful for you. See Options -> Layout

[Tiger Beard]

Indeed, never noted that second option tab.
Knowing these options is a great find and they offer interesting advantages. Maybe a button to switch between them would bring them to the attention of many more users.
I will try to switch to "listSTC" and see how that works. I would miss the sorting feature of the list but for long file paths that is a lot better display.

Thanks a lot!

[Tiger Beard]

Just some feedback for people reading this later.

I have been using the setting "listSTC" for the Trread Search in Programs with many classes (>100) for about 3 weeks. My personal impression was that the usabiliy of the tread search was improved compared to the default view. I also found that it took a couple of days to get comfortable with the "interrupted look & feel of the list, so its good that the default setting is as it is today. However this is outweighted by far by the ability to fold single target files or all taget files once you need it.

Thanks @wh11204 for pointing that out.