ActionList Editor: New Standard Action...

[PeterPanettone 158]

 

 

In the ActionList Editor, when executing the "New Standard Action..." command, it takes more than ONE MINUTE (!!!) to display the list of available action classes, as this list is very long in my IDE environment:

 

 

 

This is a sign of very INEFFICIENT CODE used to build this list.

 

While waiting the eternity for the Action Classes list to build, there is no visual feedback indicator that should be shown to the user when waiting for a longer process, such as an hourglass cursor or something similar. This behavior is typical for a novice application, not a professional IDE environment.

 

Also, there is no FILTER SEARCH box within the list of Available Action Classes! This makes it almost IMPOSSIBLE to find a specific Action class by name or type.

 

This is one of several USER-UNFRIENDLY aspects of the Delphi IDE. This particular one prevents me from using Actions at all in a Delphi application.

In the past, I have created a Quality Portal report to suggest improvements, but Embarcadero has never responded to this report.

 

Is there a plugin that could replace the "New Standard Action" command?

 

I am considering whether I should not renew my Embarcadero subscription and switch to a different programming environment. What is your advice?

Edited April 21 by PeterPanettone

[Anders Melander 1815]

22 minutes ago, PeterPanettone said:

What is your advice?

Get a dog.

[Lajos Juhász 295]

4 hours ago, PeterPanettone said:

 In the ActionList Editor, when executing the "New Standard Action..." command, it takes more than ONE MINUTE (!!!) to display the list of available action classes

 

With no 3rd party installed it is very fast, I get the list instantly. Get a cat, dogs are boring.

[John R. 18]

I can confirm this problem with a large number of standard actions added by third-party components such as ImageEn, TRichView actions... Very annoying and almost unusable, even for cat and dog owners 😉

[Uwe Raabe 2064]

Is anyone aware of a QP entry for that?

[Lars Fosdal 1793]

21 hours ago, Anders Melander said:

Get a dog.

Stay on topic, please.

[Lars Fosdal 1793]

21 hours ago, PeterPanettone said:

switch to a different programming environment. What is your advice?

Try something else, then decide.

Only you know what you need.

[PeterPanettone 158]

1 hour ago, Lars Fosdal said:

Try something else, then decide.

I have decided to stay with Delphi.

[Uwe Raabe 2064]

I still suggest to file a QP report if it doesn't exist yet. Embarcadero will never see this delay as long as they only test with their standard actions. Without such a QP report nothing will change.

[MichaelT 6]

18 hours ago, Lars Fosdal said:

Stay on topic, please.

Cat lover?

 

Feel free to cuddle a bunny of your choice, but in the end bunnies are bunnies with all their very specific lumps and 'd'umps 🐇

 

As far as I have read you already recognized that the problem with the default actions in the RAD Studio IDE cannot be solved in Visual Studio for example. So it's wise to file in a QC report or as Uwe calls it a QP report and please consider that a new portal has been set up by EMB formerly known as EMBT, but for a while now the technology went ashtray to a certain but in the end minor degree than expected.

 

I didn't come across this issue in the past and thank you for posting your experience.

 

Since take it or leave it is the new normal almost everywhere or better said take things the way they are and leave'em that way, simply don't use the default actions as long as the fix is not considered and/or implemented. I have no idea if it's possible to separate actions into separate BPLs, If I remember correctly that topic or a similar related to actions is not totally new. At least there as something in the past with 'too' many actions too and the outcome as not to use the default action list. I don't recall if that topic came up at TMS. The result of the discussion simply was that people using component set XYZ should use the Action Manager provided and in case of the Action Manager (dialog) provided don't use the feature you are talking about.

[tgbs 16]

We have a problem when double-clicking on the TActionlist. There are only a few actions, but the image list (TVirtualImageList) is large

[Uwe Raabe 2064]

5 minutes ago, tgbs said:

We have a problem when double-clicking on the TActionlist. There are only a few actions, but the image list (TVirtualImageList) is large

There are several QP entries about that. It has been fixed in Delphi 12. It is one of the driving issues for me for moving to D12.

[PeterPanettone 158]

1 hour ago, MichaelT said:

fix

The issue could be fixed by:

 

1. Replacing the code that builds the List of Available Standard Actions with a more efficient code. Once the list has been built, it should be saved (in memory) and not rebuilt each time. The GetIt List was similarly slow before it was fixed. This confirms that the Delphi IDE code still contains some legacy in the form of antediluvian code.

 

2. Implement a Search/Filter box in the List of Available Standard Actions. The Search/Filter box should also work with multiple words.

 

3. Show a visual feedback indicator while building the List of Available Standard Actions, such as an hourglass cursor or something similar. This should be done in any professional application while executing a potentially lengthy process!

Edited April 23 by PeterPanettone

[PeterPanettone 158]

22 hours ago, John R. said:

I can confirm this problem with a large number of standard actions added by third-party components such as ImageEn, TRichView actions... Very annoying and almost unusable, even for cat and dog owners 😉

Other libraries that add a large number of Standard Actions: DevExpress, TMS, ShellBrowser, JVCL.

 

This shows that the Embarcadero team does not conduct real-world tests. It seems they do their tests with empty environments.

Edited April 23 by PeterPanettone

[John R. 18]

I "hope" that I have a world record with a fantastic 2 minutes and 51 seconds to show the standard action list (for your sanity, you can fast forward most of the video): https://we.tl/t-iC5uIavpK7

This was done without a safety net using Delphi 12 patch 1 in a VM with plenty of memory, disk space and processing power. Can someone beat me ? 😎

Embarcadero employees and/or Delphi enthusiasts are free to use that video, should they care to file a report. I've already spent way too much time on this to even bother looking for, registering to, and learning how to properly use the latest usable web site to report this problem.

Meanwhile, I sincerely hope that I've added all the standard actions that I need in my app to avoid opening this dialog again 🤞

[Uwe Raabe 2064]

9 minutes ago, PeterPanettone said:

This shows that the Embarcadero team does not conduct real-world tests. It seems they do their tests with empty environments.

That is probably true, but it isn't wrong in the first place. As real-worlds tend to differ significantly between users, it would be tedious and most likely incomplete what Embarcadero can do about simulating these scenarios and test every and all IDE functionality with it. 

 

Usually these real-world problems show up in beta tests, where a bunch of developers test in their own environment, but obviously in this case they didn't. This can be caused by people with multiple libraries installed registering a lot of standard actions just not using standard actions.

 

That is the point where QP reports from normal users come into play. Without anyone complaining about an issue via the official channel there is no trigger to analyze the problem and fix it.

 

I suggest to file a QP report about the visual delay and a separate report about the search/filter box. The request for a busy indicator would be moot when the performance problem is be fixed, which I would favor over that indicator.

[Uwe Raabe 2064]

3 minutes ago, John R. said:

Embarcadero employees and/or Delphi enthusiasts are free to use that video, should they care to file a report.

I am happily taking that task for you. Can you just list the installed packages accountable for that number of standard actions? I'm not sure if I was able to identify all of them.

[PeterPanettone 158]

I have been informed that a Quality Portal report about this problem has been filed:

 

https://embt.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/1/RSS-742

 

Please VOTE & SHARE.

Edited April 23 by PeterPanettone

[John R. 18]

18 minutes ago, Uwe Raabe said:

I am happily taking that task for you. Can you just list the installed packages accountable for that number of standard actions? I'm not sure if I was able to identify all of them.

You had to make me open it again, thanks 😉

As far as I can tell, this would be: DevExpress, ImageEn, TRichView, SynEdit.

See screenshot:

[Uwe Raabe 2064]

6 minutes ago, PeterPanettone said:

Please VOTE & SHARE.

The new QP doesn't support voting and I cannot see a benefit in sharing this.

[PeterPanettone 158]

1 minute ago, Uwe Raabe said:

The new QP doesn't support voting and I cannot see a benefit in sharing this.

Is it not possible to support individual reports? Why has this possibility been removed from the Quality Portal?

[PeterPanettone 158]

30 minutes ago, John R. said:

You had to make me open it again, thanks 😉

As far as I can tell, this would be: DevExpress, ImageEn, TRichView, SynEdit.

See screenshot:

Here is a more detailed screenshot including several libraries:

https://app.screencast.com/xEiAJWWcxiL2M

Edited April 23 by PeterPanettone

[Sherlock 663]

38 minutes ago, PeterPanettone said:

Is it not possible to support individual reports? Why has this possibility been removed from the Quality Portal?

I'm guessing this is one of the shortcomings of Jira Service Manager vs. Jira. I considered the option to vote for a call a good thing too.

[Lars Fosdal 1793]

56 minutes ago, Uwe Raabe said:

1 hour ago, PeterPanettone said:

Please VOTE & SHARE.

The new QP doesn't support voting and I cannot see a benefit in sharing this.

Well, sharing allows discovery, and those that are affected can add a comment?

[PeterPanettone 158]

The new Quality Portal makes a clean impression. However, I would like to insert small screenshot images inside the Description section in addition to the separate image section.