Flakiness on custom control properties

  • In R-Prior, one could right-click on a Design element and pop the infobox with data about that element, such as creation date, last save, who saved it, size, etc. If I right-click a custom control in DDE the only thing I see is “File Properties”, which gives info about the .nsf the control is in.

  • Now, after typing the above and doing “File Properties” to provide information on what’s actually there, I see the control’s properties. They were clearly not present before … the Path data was the NSF, not the XSP the control is in.

  • Also, it routinely does nothing when I attempt “File Properties” on a custom control. Well not nothing. It loads a blank window and sits there indefinitely. If I close that blank window and try again, it will often load the control’s properties as expected. In fact this appears to be quite consistent. First window is empty, second is populated.

  • And lastly, it does not tell me who saved it last, nor when it was created. It does tell me the last save date, which is a Good Thing ™!

  • Huh. It seems if DDE doesn’t lose focus, after the initial blank window, all control properties dialogs are populated first thing. If I come over here and type, then go over to DDE and load properties, it’s back to blank the first time and present the next.

Thanks for your time…

Subject: file properties is the Eclipse version of the properties for that virtual “file”

We debated on whether or not to leave that menu item in from Eclipse…

I am not seeing the flakiness you describe in the 8.5.1 build I am running, so the issue appears to me to be fixed in 8.5.1.

If you want to see the design element properties in a way that you are accustomed to, be sure the property panel area is expanded - the screenshot below shows the dialog result of right clicking to get file properties (which is not likely what you really want) but also the normal design element properties in the property panel area.

If file properties are confusing, we could remove/hide them. But the flakiness is gone now (in 8.5.1), and the normal properties are still available (without focus issues that I am seeing).

If I am misinterpreting, please just let me know!

thanks!

Subject: Thanks Maureen…

  • This is primarily over a decade of training … right-click on an item and select properties gives the info. Since the properties tab (and that entire pane) is an annoyance four times more often than it’s useful, I only have it expanded when absolutely necessary, and I missed this.

  • Thanks again!.