Home |  Downloads |  Purchase |  Support |  Forums |  Blog |  About us |  Carthago
Home · Blog
Carthago Software Blog

Twistpad hints and tips - Part 4

Posted: 2007-10-27 20:02

Searching in currently open files

Twistpad find dialog only allows search's in the active document.

To search in all open documents, use the the find in files command with the option "Search in current opened files" selected:

http://www.carthagosoft.net/blog/upload/findincurrentfiles.png

Twistpad will limit the search to the active document files (using the text buffer) and will include any non-saved files.

Likewise, the option "Search in current project" will only search in files that belong to the currently loaded project.
Permalink

DeskTask with Windows Vista

Posted: 2007-10-02 17:16

As you may or may not know, DeskTask works only in Windows Vista if the Windows Aero interface is turned off.

After some tests, I've found out that child windows have no ability to be transparent.

DeskTask attach's itself as a desktop window child so that it stays
"pinned" to the Desktop. However with Aero on, since the window is transparent, is not shown. Disabling the transparency it works OK.

So after a lot of tests, I've found out that either DeskTask is pinned to the desktop without transparency, or is transparent but acts as a normal window (it's not attached to the Desktop). Neither solution suits what I originally wanted for DeskTask, so as it is, a new version is postponed until a solution is found.

If you are a programmer and may have useful hints regarding this problem don't hesitate to contact me.

for Windows Vista and Outlook users, I recommend taking a look on
this Gadget for the Vista Side Bar
Permalink

Twistpad hints and tips - Part 3

Posted: 2007-08-26 20:17

Sending your (formatted) code via e-mail

Twistpad allows you to copy the current contents of the editor using HTML in order to preserve the formatting (syntax highlight).

Simply select the text you want to copy and select, from the edit menu, Copy as HTML.

You can paste the copied block in an email client that supports HTML encoded messages like Microsoft Outlook.


Please note that in Microsoft Outlook, you have to select HTML as the
format. Also the editor font is important, if you use something like in the screenshot below (Consolas font is used), the person receiving the mail should have it installed.

http://www.carthagosoft.net/blog/upload/Copy%20as%20HTML.png
Permalink

Twistpad hints and tips - Part 2

Posted: 2007-07-25 12:08

Safely Replacing in files

Twistpad allows batch find replace operations in files. However replacing in files, if anything goes wrong, can be dangerous.
(a user mistake, replacing in the wrong place, etc)

Before starting any batch replace in files, make sure you have a backup of the folder(s) (does not have to be in a DVD or external disc, a simple copy to another location on the Hard disk should be safe)

However Twistpad does have a feature that does minimize the risk of replacing, which is the "Keep modified files opened after replace"

http://www.carthagosoft.net/blog/upload/replaceKeep.png

This feature, instead of silently opening the file, replacing and saving, opens the file in the editor, makes the replace(s), and does not save, leaving the file open and modified so that user can review the changes made and safely save or discard. This should not be practical for thousands of replaces in thousands of files, but should be useful (and safe) for most replace in files operations.
Permalink

Twistpad hints and tips - Part 1

Posted: 2007-07-20 21:40

Opening your documents in other applications.

There are several ways to quickly open the current document in another application.
(An HTML document in the active browser for instance)

a) You can configure the open with command, simply point to the menu "Tools" - "open with" add a program (which will stay selected in the list for future sessions) and press open. Your file will be loaded in the specified program.

b) Click on the shell icon on the status bar, the shell menu will be shown, where you can open the document in one of the pre-defined windows applications for that file type, or choose open with.
http://www.carthagosoft.net/forums/upload/twistshell.jpg
c) For HTML previews, you can also download and install the preview in web browser plug-in , which places a new command to open the currently selected document in the default browser.
Permalink

Twistpad 1.59 - Vista Improvements

Posted: 2007-07-01 00:28

As you may or may not know, Delphi Applications have some problems when the new Aero interface is turned on in Windows Vista.

In the current version of Twistpad, when clicking with the keys WIN+Tab (Flip3D) no preview is shown just the application icon, the same goes with the new preview tooltip in the Windows Taskbar and the minimize effect.

Twistpad 1.59 address's this issues and is now displayed correctly on the new fancy Vista features

http://www.carthagosoft.net/blog/upload/TwistpadVista159_2.png
Preview of the Twistpad window contents when Twistpad is minimized


http://www.carthagosoft.net/blog/upload/TwistpadVista159_3prev.png
Correct Maximize and minimize animations


http://www.carthagosoft.net/blog/upload/TwistpadVista159_4_Prev.png
Contents displayed in Flip3D

There are still some other minor issues with the tool windows, that will be addressed in future versions.
Permalink

Versioning applications

Posted: 2007-01-26 23:20

Hi,

A little talk about our method of versioning our applications.

Versioning applications sometimes might scare casual users, I mean, version 1.4.443.621 build 1493 of application X can cause confusion.

At Carthago and since Windows supports the standard x.x.x.x (Major.Minor.Release.Build) our approach was to make use of this numbers but on a different basis for release and build.

For Major and Minor, it's pretty much the same as the windows standard, Major for major changes and Minor when there are significant changes. As for the release, in our case, it's for new features, but not significative ones. Build is used to identify the service release number (a Service Release usually contains just bug fixes to the current version).

So to simplify identifying a version, instead of showing as 1.4.3.2 the version is displayed as 1.43 SR2
Permalink

Windows NT support also dropped

Posted: 2006-12-10 02:00

After recently annoucing that Twistpad would no longer be supported in the 9x Platforms, NT support have been dropped too.

Some changes would have to be made to support NT, particulary the data files location, and sincerly does anyone still uses Windows NT this days? Windows 9x I can understand since it runs some games better then 2000/XP , but Windows NT looks so outdated that it was not justified to keep support for it.
Permalink

New Twistpad 30 day trial version

Posted: 2006-12-10 01:51

Changes have been made to the trial edition of Twistpad from version 1.55 and up.

It still expires after 30 days, plus:

- Prints a shareware notice instead of defined header and footer
- Compare files does not show syntax highlighting
- A menu item in the menu bar reminds the user that it's a trial version
- A shareware reminder screen is shown at startup and at closing.

I feel confident that even with this minor annoyances Twistpad can be safely tested for 30 days.

Permalink

Twistpad support on 95/98/Me dropped

Posted: 2006-11-22 12:18

We're sorry to announce that support for the 9x kernel has been dropped.

The new Unicode architecture for Twistpad makes difficult to support this old versions (since it uses the built in features of the NT Platform regarding Unicode), and sincerely I don't know if anyone who is interested in programs like Twistpad would still be using the 9x platform, I did not want to drop the support, but the changes are significant and I prefer Twistpad to be optimized to work in 2000/XP/Vista, than compromise performance and developing time to make it legacy compatible.

Still pending is testing on the NT 4.0 to see if everything goes OK.
Permalink
Powered by sBLOG © 2005 Servous

COPYRIGHT 1998-2009 CARTHAGO SOFTWARE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.