Hey there. I use an editor with syntax highlighting to edit step.rc files, and because I recently got back into Litestep (after a two year hiatus) I find I'm trying to update the wordfile for the syntax highlighting to work with step.rc files. I was thinking it would be very nice if the module authors included a litte blurb at the end of the documentation that included a lits of all the commands in Alphabetical order. Then we could just cut and paste that into whatever format our editor uses, and Ta Da, everyone that uses an editor with syntax highlighting will have it looking the same. I find even when I import other peoples themes, I'm always correcting the case in order to get it entries show up right. This would help avoid that.

Here's a little example of what I am talking about using the commands for taskbar.dll (from the litestep installer 2.1 build) well just the "Ts" actually.

You mean you have your editor highlight every single RC command for every single module?! You're crazy!

Now if you can get it to automatically highlight commands only for modules you've got loaded, that would be sweet.

I highlight just the core commands and I group all of my module commands...no need to highlight them again. Good luck getting all of the commands together though. Damn that will be one big ass wordfile.

There are quite a lot of ppl who would want to use it though. Something like that is frequently requested.

I have been loading up Step.rc files, and adding commands that don't highlight to my wordfile. Yes the wordfile is bound to get large, but that's not so bad, it's only a .txt file. The main issue is the amount of work it will be. I'd be happy to compile one (For UltraEdit text editor atleast), but it would be much easier if the commands for the modules were just listed at the bottom. Then it's only a very small bit of work for the module coders. If anyone would be interested in helping, just grab the readme from your favorite module, and add the commands in a blurb like the one I posted above, then emial me the file. I'll keep working, and add anything I recieve. Once I'm done, I'll be happy to upload the file to the Litstep sites. :)

I'd like to see this sort of stuff, but I doubt that many mod-authors would bother putting the commands in twice. What you need is some sort of script that detects this sort of things. It doesn't necessarily need to be that difficult: it would only need to (probably by regexp) pull out all settings from a readme by giving the script (or whatever) the relevant modules main setting, ie: for tasks.dll it would need to copy all settings that start with "Tasks" to specified file.

Obviously you'll need to make the script only copy commands once. I realize that there are differences in pretty much every readme, and it would be hard to find a perfect way to include all and only the actual commands, but it might be possible. It sure is worth a shot unless you wanna cut'n'paste a million settings from all the modules...

That's what I've been doing so far. I'm not doing every module exactly, but I'm trying to do the ones that I seem to come accross a lot. I have all the core modules, and about half a dozen 3rd party modules so far.

Like they say though "Many hands make small work" it would be so much easier for users to compile their own lists in whatever format their particular editor uses if it was all about cutting and pasting one paragraph from each readme. It's just a suggestion for coders in the future I guess. It would be nice to see.

As far as writing a script goes, I wouldn't know where to begin, and what you are proposing soundss like it would be pretty hit and miss. There are modules that have commands that aren't wuite as easy to find as following the generic name.

Good idea though. It would save me a tonne of clicking.

Most commands seem to be in the format BigLettersFirstAndInMiddleOfWords. Shouldn't be to hard to find perhaps.

Yes, like gieron says, most modules follow the pattern of ModuleNameX, ModuleNameY... so it shouldn't be too hard making it work. at least it should work with several mods. I'm far from any wiz when it comes to stuff like this, but I'll see if I find the time to have a go at it during the weekend. vbs or even php might be helpful, or I'll see what I can do with a macro in SciTE or UE.

I've got nothing against including a text file with my modules' documentation that lists all the RC command names. But it is still gonna be a big job for you to pull together all those files.

Hm, what about modules that use label-style stuff like ModuleNameUserDefinedBit?

and this sounds like a good use for those XML module descriptions.

it'll definitely be a big job, but then again I've just come back to Litestep after a 2 1/2 year absence, so just getting used to the changes is proving to be a big job in itself, but we all love litestep, or we wouldn't be doing any of the work required with it at all. :)