WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Windows specific questions.
deltarho[1859]
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WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

After getting a right 'ear bashing' from robert I have updated drWinFBE_Tools.

Download the zip below, unzip and put it into WinFBE's Tools folder.

If you are a new WinFBE user it will guide you to getting WinFBE bang up to date with regard FBC Version 1.08.1 in the News forum. You don't have to go there - the Help file does everything except put the kettle on for you. Image

If only one toolchain is on board, then trying to invoke SeCompilerPathsII.exe would see a message box saying "I need more than one set of compiler paths". jj2007 and robert thought that was cryptic. After writing cryptographic procedures for the last 16 years I disagreed. The message box is now:
Image
A zip of of the updated SetCompilerPathsII.exe is also below. Put the unzip into the Tools folder as well. This is now at V1.05. The version that comes with WinFBE is at V1.03. Why? Your guess is as good as mine - V1.04 was broadcasted when I published it. Who too? Well, it wasn't Joe Biden.

I have bookmarked this thread in my browser and will use it for any further developments. I will take full responsibility for its upkeep and rely on no other.

drWinFBE_Tools.zip
SetCompilerPathsII.zip
SetCompilerSwitchesII.zip
Last edited by deltarho[1859] on Oct 24, 2023 4:08, edited 2 times in total.
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

Actually there is another way to access drWinFBE_Tools.chm without using your file manager.

Click on Tools>User Tools... and look at what I have done:
Image
I have been doing this from day one with drWinFBE_Tools. 'drWinFBE_Tools Help' win now be in the Tools drop down menu.

I left it for a while before mentioning this approach because I wanted to avoid stressing jj2007 or robert with too much work. Image

"I know that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but it is better than nothing" David Roberts 1971
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

The Help file is primarily for new users of WinFBE. For existing users, they may simply want to re-read something. This led to some confusing statements. Confusion removed, hopefully.
robert
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by robert »

deltarho[1859] wrote:After getting a right 'ear bashing' from robert I have updated drWinFBE_Tools.

Download the zip below, unzip and put it into WinFBE's Tools folder.

If you are a new WinFBE user it will guide you to getting WinFBE bang up to date with regard FBC Version 1.08.1 in the News forum. You don't have to go there - the Help file does everything except put the kettle on for you. Image

If only one toolchain is on board, then trying to invoke SeCompilerPathsII.exe would see a message box saying "I need more than one set of compiler paths". jj2007 and robert thought that was cryptic. After writing cryptographic procedures for the last 16 years I disagreed. The message box is now:
Image
A zip of of the updated SetCompilerPathsII.exe is also below. Put the unzip into the Tools folder as well. This is now at V1.05. The version that comes with WinFBE is at V1.03. Why? Your guess is as good as mine - V1.04 was broadcasted when I published it. Who too? Well, it wasn't Joe Biden.

I have bookmarked this thread in my browser and will use it for any further developments. I will take full responsibility for its upkeep and rely on no other.

drWinFBETools.zip
SetCompilerPathsII.zip
Hi David:

Add the following line to your Error Message code and the Help file will open automatically.

Code: Select all

Shell "start drWinFBE_Tools.chm"
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

Hi robert

Thanks.

The user may not want to read the Help file at that point, and we are ramming it down their throat, whether they like it or not.

This is better.
Image

SetCompilerPathsII V1.06 at opening post.
robert wrote:SetCompilerPathsII.exe falls well short of being helpful. I wouldn't touch it with a forty-foot barge pole.
Are you still of the same opnion?
robert
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by robert »

deltarho[1859] wrote:Hi robert

Thanks.

The user may not want to read the Help file at that point, and we are ramming it down their throat, whether they like it or not.

This is better.
Image

SetCompilerPathsII V1.06 at opening post.
robert wrote:SetCompilerPathsII.exe falls well short of being helpful. I wouldn't touch it with a forty-foot barge pole.
Are you still of the same opnion?
Hi David:

Looks good!

Several of my comments were direct quotes or paraphrases of comments that YOU have made in the past on this forum. I thought that something was needed to goad you into action to fix that mess.

Keep it up. You're on a roll.

Now, for your next act, you can consolidate the three apps into one Compiler Manager app. You should open source it.

Thank you.
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

Hi robert

After beng a member of this forum for just over two years, you should have realized that goading me probably is not a good tack to employ. SetCompilerSwitches, SetCompilerPaths, and drWinFBE_Tools were introduced in WinFBE V2.15. The 'mess' was created by Paul not telling anyone that drWinFBE_Tools existed. I asked him to but it never happened.

I have thought about consolidating the three apps, but they do very different things. Some may have no use for SetCompilerSwitches and some may have no use for SetCompilerPaths. The 'Architecture settings' is an aide-mémoire and requires no user action. I figured that a 'Compiler Manager' app would be overcomplicated and annoying to some. It would work for me, but not everyone.
You should open source it.
No chance. I can see folks screwing things up and publishing their version on the forum, and guess who will get it 'in the neck' for that. There is a lot going on 'under the hood' with SetCompilerSetPaths which I have not explained, no need to. For example, if we mistype a path in its ini file we are told which line is at fault and whether it is the 32-bit or 64-bit entry. That has caught me out more than once. I can see many folks not going to those lengths with their version. There are a few other checks, but I see no need to mention them. If SetCompilerPaths cannot access everything it needs it will tell us and not Windows telling us. Both 'Set...' apps are copyrighted and for good reason. It is rare for me to do that, and 99% of my code is open source. I am always open to suggestions, as you have just experienced, but letting others loose on the source code is not going to happen.
robert
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by robert »

deltarho[1859] wrote:Hi robert

After beng a member of this forum for just over two years, you should have realized that goading me probably is not a good tack to employ. SetCompilerSwitches, SetCompilerPaths, and drWinFBE_Tools were introduced in WinFBE V2.15. The 'mess' was created by Paul not telling anyone that drWinFBE_Tools existed. I asked him to but it never happened.

I have thought about consolidating the three apps, but they do very different things. Some may have no use for SetCompilerSwitches and some may have no use for SetCompilerPaths. The 'Architecture settings' is an aide-mémoire and requires no user action. I figured that a 'Compiler Manager' app would be overcomplicated and annoying to some. It would work for me, but not everyone.
You should open source it.
No chance. I can see folks screwing things up and publishing their version on the forum, and guess who will get it 'in the neck' for that. There is a lot going on 'under the hood' with SetCompilerSetPaths which I have not explained, no need to. For example, if we mistype a path in its ini file we are told which line is at fault and whether it is the 32-bit or 64-bit entry. That has caught me out more than once. I can see many folks not going to those lengths with their version. There are a few other checks, but I see no need to mention them. If SetCompilerPaths cannot access everything it needs it will tell us and not Windows telling us. Both 'Set...' apps are copyrighted and for good reason. It is rare for me to do that, and 99% of my code is open source. I am always open to suggestions, as you have just experienced, but letting others loose on the source code is not going to happen.
Hi David:

O.K. PUNK, you wanna talk seniority? My first post on this Forum was on Jul 25, 2006 at 12:38. Here's the link

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5141&p=43286#p43286

It's Paul's fault ? Closed source, copyright ???

Image

I have nothing more to say about this.
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

robert wrote:O.K. PUNK, you wanna talk seniority? My first post on this Forum was on Jul 25, 2006 at 12:38. Here's the link
So, what the blazes is going on with the forum software saying that you joined Aug 06, 2019?

How other people deal with their source code is their business, I couldn't care less. I have other reasons why the 'Set...' apps are not open source, and that is my business. If some are not happy with that then they can lump it, I couldn't care less about that either. Goading me with an image is water off a duck's back.
I have nothing more to say about this.
Good idea. Image
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

SetCompilerSwitchesII.exe as been updated to V1.06.

'-w all' and '-fpmode fast' are now hard-wired in the command line.

These additions were inspired by a D.J.Peters' command line.

SetCompilerSwitchesII.zip
srvaldez
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by srvaldez »

thank you deltarho[1859] :-)
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

For SetCompilerSwitchesII users.

The upcoming fbc 1.09 has __FB_OPTIMIZE__ added:

"Always defined and will have a value from 0 to 3 (0 by default) to indicate the optimization level passed to the backend compiler via -O."

If we choose the optimization level via -O<whatever> in a -Wc grouping then __FB_OPTIMIZE__ will return zero.

So if you use '-On' in a -Wc grouping where 1 <= n <= 3, you may like to use '-O n' outside a -Wc grouping instead.

The use of '-Os' and '-Ofast' in a -Wc grouping are unaffected.
srvaldez
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by srvaldez »

:-)
deltarho[1859], I noticed that the latest ES gcc-12.0 produces just a bit faster executables than gcc-9.3 or 8.3, have not checked the sizes but more than likely they are larger than the ones produced by gcc-8.3
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

gcc versions *.0 almost invariably produce larger binaries, and often by quite a margin compared with their predecessors. *.1 and above start coming down in size.

If speed is an issue, I don't think it's possible to second guess how a particular version will behave. 8.3 and 9.3 produce faster binaries than 5.2 more often than not. But there is the 'rub' – not all the time. I do not think any version can be described as the fastest to date – there always seems to some tasks which are faster with earlier versions. We have to get our hands dirty to prove one way or the other.

For what it is worth, I think that 9.3 will hold us in good stead for a few years; not as long as 5.2 did, but we hung on to 5.2 too long. Image
Last edited by deltarho[1859] on Dec 24, 2021 0:56, edited 2 times in total.
deltarho[1859]
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Re: WinFBE - drWinFBE_Tools.chm

Post by deltarho[1859] »

I normally have both SetCompiler*II plugins open with WinFBE, and they remain open for the whole of the WinFBE session.

I have never had the need to minimize WinFBE until earlier today. The two plugins looked at me as if to say: “What do you want us to do, boss?”

I had not catered for that.

Both plugins are now at V1.07, links in opening post, and will minimize if WinFBE is minimized. Needless to say, they get restored if WinFBE gets restored.
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