At the moment I'm evaluating the Keil5 ide. In Coocox the compiler will gray out the unused preprocessor code, is very handy. Can't find this option in Keil uvision 5, how do you guys do that? How can you read (and understand) the code if you don't know what's used or not.
Example: my.st.com/.../gray.PNG
"How can you read (and understand) the code if you don't know what's used or not."
The same way people managed to do wonders in VI. We know what is used because we are the ones who decides what is used - not because the color coding in the editor happens to change.
It's the same way people once managed to remember phone numbers and dial without pressing a name or an avatar in a smart phone. And the same way people manage to find bugs without a debugger. The brain adapts, based on the needs.
"It's the same way people once managed to remember phone numbers and dial without pressing a name or an avatar in a smart phone." That's true and not that difficult if you have 20 friends. Now these days we have over 200 friends and then it's not that easy to remember all the numbers. But why should you? There's a handy tool called smartphone that can do all that for you. Same with a IDE, now these days it helps you to quick make code with as less effort as possible. If you have 20 #ifdef in your code it all can be overseen, but if you use for example Lwip middelware then there are hundreds of #ifdef's and then it's very handy if you can see what the developer has chosen as default.
Btw are you the one that types in 217.140.101.61 in your browser? or is http://www.keil.com easier....
It's not too often I have had to suffer libraries where the huge amount of #ifdef blocks makes it impossible to read the code. Most of the time, I have just been able to classify the code as "code from hell" and go for some other library.
I don't think color-coding would give much improvement. In my view, a much better route would be to use code-folding based on enabled defines.
The problem with just going for color-coding, is that I still get a significant amount of the screen estate showing code lines that aren't relevant, or part of the build.
From a personal perspective, I rarely use the editor of uVision. It would be too strong to say that I dislike the uVision one. Rather, I prefer to use a dedicated editor; one that I use for ALL editing tasks.
The IDE is far more than just being just an editor. As a development environment, it is extremely powerful and uses a superb compiler package under the hood.
From some previous threads we have seen on the subject, I think lots of people think the Keil tools can't be used if the user doesn't like the editor.
I normally have a favorite editor that I use both for Windows and Linux projects, and with multiple programming languages and multiple different compiler tool chains. It's just practical to keep down on the number of editors in use.
The editor in uV will auto-detect if files has changed so there are no problems having the same files open in more than one editor.
Note that it is not the compiler which does this - it is the Editor (which is the Eclipse editor, in the Case of CooCox).
Yes, it is very handy - and has been a common (one might go so far as to say, "standard"?) feature of "proper" Programmer's editors for many years now.
Sadly, the uVision editor is pretty lame - and this is one of those handy features that it still lacks.
But, as others have said, you are not compelled to use the uVision editor.
Whether you feel that this is an unforgivable omission (considering the price of Keil tools relative to, say, CooCox) is entirely up to you ...
Usually I just have the compiler generate browse information, and look at the areas where I can vs can't set break-points, it's pretty apparent then if code doesn't make it into the executable due to preprocessor or dead-code elimination.
Use a better editor or static-analysis tool, not sure any vendor yet has built an editor that appeals to everyone, and there are hooks to let you use your own.
nor even one that completely pleases anyone for all purposes?
I generally use 2 or 3 editors as I find each one has particular features & weaknesses that make it better/worse for specific tasks.
In uVision, if you have some text selected and choose 'Print' - it will default to printing just the selection. This is very handy.
In Eclipse, it will print the entire file.
In CooCox, I can't even see a 'Print' option on any menu or toolbar - you just have to know the Ctrl+P shortcut...
Yes, very handy - when it works !
However, Eclipse in general (which, presumably, includes CooCox) does seem to have a way to get confused about it and mess it all up - and that, then, becomes a big pain!