Delphi MRU Project Manager

[PeterPanettone 157]

The Delphi IDE has only a flat MRU list. Accessing the knowledge from previous projects enhances productivity. So this is a start from accessing that knowledge - Delphi MRU Project Manager:

 

    

 

This project is open source and copyrighted by me. It will be enhanced to become a full-featured Delphi Project Manager in the future. Constructive suggestions are welcome.

 

DelphiMRUManager.zip

[David Schwartz 426]

does it work with project groups as well?

[PeterPanettone 157]

8 hours ago, David Schwartz said:

does it work with project groups as well?

That's a good idea. One of the following things I will implement is FAVORITES and other project groups.

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.2:

 

    

 

The changes since the last version:

 

- 2022-01-02:
    - Added a button to copy the path of the selected Project file to the clipboard.
    - Added a column that shows the Modified date of every project.
  - 2022-01-03
    - Automatically and optionally loading all MRU Projects at program start
    - Several code optimizations
    - Optimized the Hint handling
    - Added a header panel and moved the IDE selection menu  to it
    - Added an Options menu and a Preferences item to it
    - Saving and restoring window placement and settings

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.2 (2022-01-03).zip

Edited January 3, 2022 by PeterPanettone

[Vincent Parrett 750]

Consider putting the source up on Github rather than sharing zip files - makes it safer for everyone that way. 

[David Schwartz 426]

Which versions of Delphi does it work with?

[PeterPanettone 157]

45 minutes ago, David Schwartz said:

Which versions of Delphi does it work with?

I have made it with Delphi 11 Alexandria. Didn't it work with another Delphi version? Should I provide a SIGNED exe installer?

Edited January 4, 2022 by PeterPanettone

[PeterPanettone 157]

23 hours ago, Vincent Parrett said:

Consider putting the source up on Github

I will do that, after searching for a tutorial on how to do that.

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.2.1:

    

 

The changes since the last version:

 

- 2022-01-04
    - Added "Hot"-feature to IDE-Selector
    - Added Drag&Drop feature that allows you to:
      - Drag and drop any Project from DelphiMRUManager to any Delphi IDE
        (while double-clicking a Project item in DelphiMRUManager always opens the Project in the last installed IDE)
      - Drag and drop any Project with the left mouse button from DelphiMRUManager to your File-Manager to create a copy of the Project file
      - Drag and drop any Project with the right mouse button from DelphiMRUManager to your File-Manager to create a LINK to the Project file
      This feature needs the open-source Drag-and-Drop-Component-Suite-for-Delphi:
      https://github.com/landrix/The-Drag-and-Drop-Component-Suite-for-Delphi
    - Added a button to empty the search-box

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.2.1 (2022-01-04).zip

Edited January 4, 2022 by PeterPanettone

[Harry Stahl 1]

Hi PeterPanetto,

 

you asked me, about your idea, if I like it. Yes, of course I like it. And from your initial proposal to add access to the last used projects in PPM, I enhanced it with the further access to the favorites and the demo-projects.

It is also available in the free community edition of the pascal project manager and editor.

 

At the moment it looks like this here:

[PeterPanettone 157]

On 1/4/2022 at 12:49 AM, Vincent Parrett said:

Consider putting the source up on Github

I will do that, after searching for a tutorial on how to do that.

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.2.2:

 

        

 

The changes since the last version:

 

- 2022-01-05:
    - Implemented SORTING: Click a column header to sort the Project list by that column
      For this I need user feedback:
      - Is the sorting working on your machine?
      - Do you have any suggestions?

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.2.2 (2022-01-05).zip

Edited January 5, 2022 by PeterPanettone

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.3:

 

    

 

The changes since the last version:

 

- 2022-01-06:
    - Added F12 shortcut to Preferences menu item
    - Improved the sorting: When clicking on a column header, when loading specific IDE Projects
    - Set the Header-Title of the sorted column RED
    - Set the Project list Header-Font BOLD
    - Added an option to Preferences to generally hide non-existing Project files (of course, all Preferences are persistent between sessions)
    - Added a ToolBar Button to hide/unhide non-existing Project files temporarily

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.3 (2022-01-06).zip

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.4:

 

    

 

The changes since the last version:

 

  - 2022-01-07
    - Improved the Toolbar Button that temporarily hides/unhides non-existing Project files with a new icon for the button's Down state
    - Added an option to Preferences to show an alternating row background
    - Changed 'Preferences' menu item to 'Toggle Preferences': From Preferences, press F12 again to close Preferences
    - Improved the Search feature to look now in both columns - Example: Searching for '2019' now shows you all Projects last modified in the year 2019
  - 2022-01-08
    - Added a Group-DropDown button to the ToolBar: Currently, you can group the Projects by Year
    - Improved the Search to use multiple words - Example: Searching for '2021 demo' now shows you all Projects containing 'demo' and modified in 2021
    - Improved the Toolbar Button that temporarily hides/unhides non-existing Project files: Now SearchFilter results or existing groups are retained when clicking this button
      (Note that FilterSearch and Groups such as GroupByYear are still mutually exclusive)
  - 2022-01-10
    - Added a Details pane that shows additional details about the selected Project

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.4 (2022-01-10).zip

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.6.5:

 

 

These are the changes since version 0.6: 

 

- 2022-01-17
    - Added Indent commands (Indent Increase/Decrease) and a Bullet command (Cycle through Bullet Styles) to the Richtext Notes Editor
    - Improved the Files tab in the Project Details pane to show the Project's .PAS and .DFM files in addition to the .DPR file
      (Double-click each file-type to load it in the configured external source-code editor)
  - 2022-01-18
    - Improved the Project Details view with file-icons
    - Improved the Project's Details View by subtly highlighting the active Page
  - 2022-01-23
    - Until now, the search filter and Grouping were mutually exclusive. (I.e., changing the SearchFilter canceled the Grouping and vice versa).
      Now, this is no more the case: You can now have BOTH an active Search Filter and Grouping simultaneously!
    - Added a context menu to the Search Box to increase, decrease or reset the width of the SearchBox
    - Improved the Layout on the User Preferences page by using a TRelativePanel

    - Several code optimizations

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.6.5 (2022-01-24).zip

Edited January 24, 2022 by PeterPanettone

[PeterPanettone 157]

On 1/3/2022 at 12:44 AM, David Schwartz said:

does it work with project groups as well?

Do you mean PROJECT GROUPS such as Delphi *.GROUPPROJ files or GROUPS OF PROJECTS such as logical groups inside the MRU Project Manager?

[David Schwartz 426]

19 hours ago, PeterPanettone said:

Do you mean PROJECT GROUPS such as Delphi *.GROUPPROJ files or GROUPS OF PROJECTS such as logical groups inside the MRU Project Manager?

Either one ... but feel free to address both. (The images suggest neither one, which is why I asked.)

 

[toms 29]

Quote

 

Increase the width of the SearchBox
Decrease the width of the SearchBox

 

Use a TSplitter instead?

 

[PeterPanettone 157]

3 hours ago, David Schwartz said:

Either one ... but feel free to address both. (The images suggest neither one, which is why I asked.)

 

The version after next will have custom logical project groups inside MRU Project Manager.

[PeterPanettone 157]

3 hours ago, toms said:

Use a TSplitter instead?

 

I have tried TSplitter. But it seems to not work on a TToolBar.

[PeterPanettone 157]

Here is version 0.6.9:

 

 

These are the changes since version 0.6.5: 

 

  - 2022-01-24
    - Now you can even drag a file from the Project Details pane (Files/Exe tab) and drop it onto any target to load it in the target:
      The Delphi IDE, the Windows File Manager, an external editor etc.
      (As usual, you can create a shortcut link of the file in the File Manager instead of a file copy by dragging the file with the right mouse button)
    - Two additional SearchFilter modes added - you can activate the desired SearchFilter mode with the buttons on the left side of the Search Box:
      - Notes-SearchFilter mode: ...
      - SourceFiles-SearchFilter mode: ...
      - The 3 SearchFilter-Mode buttons have been made TEMPORARILY invisible until the HINT PROBLEM (see below) is solved!
    - In ProjectList-SearchFilter mode, the (first) search term is now highlighted throughout the Project List, in both columns!

 

  Please note: A serious problem has arisen: As a consequence of (ListView.OwnerDraw = True - to draw the ListView Items in OnDrawItem myself), the Hints do not work anymore in DelphiMRUManager on my system.
  Now I need your help to verify whether the Hints do not work in DelphiMRUManager on YOUR system too. This is easy to verify:
  1. Hover your mouse pointer over the SearchBox and tell me if the SearchBox Hint is shown in the StatusBar
  2. If the SearchBox Hint is NOT shown in the StatusBar, then set lvMRUProjects.OwnerDraw = False in the Object Inspector: This should reactivate the HINT functionality in DelphiMRUManager in any case
  I need to solve this problem before working on the next features!

Update: I have now solved the Hint problem - the next version will have it fixed!

 

DelphiMRUManager 0.6.9 (2022-01-29).zip

Edited January 29, 2022 by PeterPanettone

[limelect 48]

Which Delphi do you use?

Since for example richeditNotesEditor.SelAttributes.Subscript := sstSuperscript;

does not compile on 4  does not exist .Subscript := sstSuperscript;

is it a different richedit?

 

[PeterPanettone 157]

4 hours ago, limelect said:

Which Delphi do you use?

Since for example richeditNotesEditor.SelAttributes.Subscript := sstSuperscript;

does not compile on 4  does not exist .Subscript := sstSuperscript;

is it a different richedit?

 

Currently, it can be compiled only in Delphi 11 Alexandria because of the new TRichEdit control 4.1 implemented by MSFTEDIT.dll in this Delphi version. Unless someone shows me a trick on how to use the new TRichEdit control 4.1 implemented by MSFTEDIT.dll in previous Delphi versions.

[limelect 48]

Make it simple so everybody can compile. 

from d10+

Otherwise, it is for yourself

[PeterPanettone 157]

1 hour ago, limelect said:

Make it simple so everybody can compile. 

from d10+

Otherwise, it is for yourself

Good idea. Which Delphi version do you have? I could exclude from compilation all things working only in Delphi 11 by using compiler switches and using an old TRichEdit instead of the new TRichEdit for compilers below Delphi 11 Alexandria. What do you think?