Topic: Autolisp IDE Poll

[dubb]

I have learned that AutoDesk is going to discontinue VLIDE in favor of Visual Studio. What are your preferences and why?

I'm trying out Visual Studio. So far it looks pretty good. I don't have much of an opinion on it yet.

[kdub_nz]

Actually, that would be VS Code, not Visual Studio.

They are different animals.
googles first hit for search :  https://www.turing.com/kb/ultimate-guide-visual-studio-vs-visual-studio-code

I use both Vlide AND VSCode ( Vlide for preference )
and NotePad++ ( if I click a file in File Explorer )

[dubb]

Ah...I get it. I didn't realize there was a difference. Thanks.

Actually, that would be VS Code, not Visual Studio.

They are different animals.
googles first hit for search :  https://www.turing.com/kb/ultimate-guide-visual-studio-vs-visual-studio-code

I use both Vlide AND VSCode ( Vlide for preference )
and NotePad++ ( if I click a file in File Explorer )

[It's Alive!]

I’m still using LispLink, even though it’s dated (the author passed), I just spent so much time using it.
I do like vscode, but I don’t know how to use it with lisp yet, like how do I hide local variables, and search for referenced functions.   

[kdub_nz]

>>> I’m still using LispLink

I recall trying it ( about the time AutoCAD purchased Vital Lisp from Basis Software and renamed it to Visual Lisp (arount rel 14.0 )

went looking a while back, but the editor had usage limits and I was unable to license it and there were restrictions to the Acad version it worked with.

. . . a pity, cause I did like the editor.

[It's Alive!]

Yeah, the trial was limited to 100 lines of code or something, last compatible with acad 2015, I never used the autocad connector features, just the editor..
He was from my home town, so he hooked me up.. or I threatened to toilet paper his house or something...

anyway  ZwCad, GStar are now using VS Code, maybe high-jacking a common lisp plug-in would give us more features.

I’ve pretty much forgotten lisp, I had to purge that space to make room for C++

[kdub_nz]

 

Luis used to do that . . . change his name and piccy often . . . had us all really confused 

[It's Alive!]

I miss Luis, LE and LE2!

[BIGAL]

No option "Notepad++" has lisp detect built in and can run code direct from N++.

[PKENEWELL]

I use a editor called PSPad. It's very customizable. I especially like the "Code Explorer" feature, as it can list all the defuns in the file. I have also worked with the author to update the syntax file a few times.
http://www.pspad.com/en/

[JohnK]

VSCode will really help you step up your game if your used to only using the VLIDE.

[BIGAL]

I have been programming for like 40 years and could not get VS to install, so gave up, just followed the instructions, anybody else have problems ?

[Rustabout]

GStarCAD's VS Code extensions are really good. The other ones either didn't have DCL ability or weren't very good.

Don't forget BLAIDE. Not a fan of BricsCAD (ducks) but the guy behind BLAIDE does a really good job.

I'm planning to switch to GStarCAD and VSCODE once my AutoCAD license runs out (unless the $$$ really starts coming in, then I might do one more year of ACAD).

[BIGAL]

Lets no forgot the discontinuance of VBA support what are we up to now close to 10 years when anoounced would be discontinued ! Can download 2023 VBA for Autocad.

Whats that, the earth shook lisp to be discontinued. 

[Rustabout]

They would lose so many customers if they discontinued LISP: Everyone using it would have to switch or lose massive amounts of productivity.

People are in denial about how much productivity improves with LISP.

I'm working on something... I'm dying to try out my new C#/.NET skills, but developing stuff in LISP is just so fast. The early-nineties style dialog boxes put a lot of people off but they get the job done.

I can easily argue that productivity is down compared to when LISP programming was at it's peak. And many productive LISP apps have disappeared. Anyone know where to find Al's Steel Mill lol?

[BIGAL]

Maybe this one.

[kirby]

Missed the poll

I use a combination of:
- TextPad for general text file editting (with MP's syntax file)
- VLIDE to catch syntax errors, and to help identify variable names for localization
- extinct 'Ally - A Lisp Analyzer' by Steve Wasco (shareware version) for variable and function reporting and finding parentheses matching errors

Ally has the best parenteses matching I've seen (and I've been using AutoLisp since inception with Acad v2.18 c 1985).  Uses a different colour to display parentheses at each nesting level, and blinking parentheses to show a mismatch.  See screen grab.  Also has a simple 'single line' editor to make quick fixes.   I think that Ally evolved into another product named 'Cadet'.

Disadvantages of Ally is that it is a DOS program with limited window size and works best if DOS compliant 8.3 filenames are used.  I run it using DosBox (accessed via batch files called from an AutoLisp file).

[danAllen]

...Anyone know where to find Al's Steel Mill lol?

https://cadtips.cadalyst.com/standard-blocks/steel-shapes-all-types-and-sizes

[BIGAL]

An oldy like 30 years ago.

I use notepad++ has bracket check built will check dcl as well for brackets.

[VovKa]

i easily recognize the people who do not use vlide by their badly formatted code

for me vlide is almost perfect
the only thing i would add is a visual tool to navigate through long lisps, table of contents of some sort

[ScottMC]

Agree BIGAL N++ works quite well. One day the long.form comment glitch will be resolved but still do like the many additional apps to make things easier. Y'all use Ditto [clipboard mgmt] ? sure helps remember for me! Thanks for what y'all do. theSwamp really has help'd me see the gold after all that rinsing [time I wasted]...

[rayakmal]

I have learned that AutoDesk is going to discontinue VLIDE in favor of Visual Studio. What are your preferences and why?

I'm trying out Visual Studio. So far it looks pretty good. I don't have much of an opinion on it yet.

Too bad, VS Code won't work on Windows 7 (One of my laptop still runs Windows 7)

[donnieworld]

Ultraedit is very good. There are specific language syntax files for Autolisp.

[kdub_nz]

I noticed this couple days ago.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0915CCQYS

AutoCAD 2021 VS Code Update: for AutoCAD Expert’s Visual LISP (AutoCAD expert's Visual LISP Book 5)  release 2022 edition

 Reinaldo Togores writes excellent books
@togores pops in here occasionally.