This is a guide to getting up and running quickly with CodeSnip.
If you have not already done so, you need to get an up to date copy of the CodeSnip database. You will know if this is the case because the program will display a message to that effect when it first starts. Use the Update From Web dialogue box, reached from the Database | Update From Web menu option.
If you need CodeSnip to access the internet via a Proxy Server you should use the Tools | Proxy Server menu option and enter information and the proxy in the resulting Proxy Server Configuration dialogue box.
You can add your own snippets to the database. These snippets are held separately to the main database and are not affected by database updates. If you wish you can submit user defined code to be considered for inclusion in the main database.
Add, edit and delete snippets using the appropriate menu items on the Database menu. You can also save, backup and restore the user database from this menu.
Snippets can be categorised using any of the available categories or you can defined your own.
All the snippets in the database are displayed in the Overview Pane, grouped in different ways depending on which tab is selected. Select the name of a snippet in the Overview Pane to display its source code, description and other information in the Detail Pane. Any snippets required to compile the displayed snippet are listed in the "Required snippets" section. Clicking a snippet's name displays its details. Similar snippets are accessible in the "See also" section. The compilers the snippet is known to compile with are indicated at the bottom of the display.
Clicking a section heading in the Overview Pane displays a table listing all the snippets in that section in the current tab of the Detail Pane. Clicking any snippet name will display the snippet's details in a similar way.
Items in the Overview Pane can be displayed in a new tab in the Details Pane either by Ctrl-clicking the item or by creating a new, empty tab by pressing Ctrl+T before clicking the required item.
You can search the database for specific words, for snippets that compile (or don't compile) under certain compilers or for cross-referenced snippets. Use the Find Text, Find Compiler(s) or File Cross References dialogue boxes to perform a search. These dialogues are accessed via the Search menu.
When a search has been performed only those snippets that are found are listed in the Overview Pane. When a text search is performed the found words are highlighted in the detail pane.
The list of snippets resulting from a search can be stored in a file for later restoration. Use the Save Selection and Load Selection options from the File menu to do this.
To cancel a search and view all the database again, select the Search | Show All menu item.
If you have snippets that you return to frequently you can make them "favourites" by selecting the Snippets | Add To Favourites menu option or by pressing Shift+Alt+F when the snippet is displayed.
Favourite snippets are displayed in the Favourites dialogue box which is accessed from the Snippets | Show Favourites menu option or by pressing F4. Display the snippet you want by double clicking it. The snippet will then be displayed in the main window's detail pane as normal. You can also use the dialogue box to remove any unwanted favourites.
The Favourites dialogue box is non-modal and can be left displayed alongside the main CodeSnip window for easy access to favourites. By default the dialogue box fades to semi-transparency when the main window is being used, but this can be changed if desired.
When any snippet is selected you can test it with any supported compilers currently installed on your computer, provided it is not a freeform snippet. To do this you must first have configured CodeSnip to work with your compilers by providing the required information in the Configure Compilers dialogue box.
To perform a test compilation select the required snippet in the Overview pane and choose Compile | Test Compile Snippet menu option. The program will then compile the snippet and display the result in the Test Compile Results dialogue box. Full details of any compiler errors or warnings can be displayed from this dialogue box.
CodeSnip can export snippets or complete units, as follows: