Build a better Object Browser

[ThunderFrame]

Object Browser deficiencies

• Indicates read-only properties, but not write-only properties
• Doesn't indicate hidden attribute of member (other than as grey font)
• Doesn't indicate default member (other than as an icon)
• Doesn't allow to search by return type
• Doesn't allow to search by parameter Type
• Doesn't allow to search by parameter Position
• Doesn't allow to search by parameter Name
• Doesn't allow to search by parameter count
• Doesn't allow to search by parameter default value type
• Doesn't allow to search by parameter default value
• Doesn't allow to search by member scope type
• Doesn't indicate if a Class is an Interface
• Doesn't allow finding classes that implement an interface
• Can't tell whether a member is an interface-member-implementation
• Can't tell whether a member is an event handler.
• Can't find handlers for an event
• Doesn't allow finding specific member type
• Doesn't allow finding specific (constant/enum) member values
• Can't determine Get/Let/Set on Properties
• Can't view Hex/Octal representations of Constants/Enums
• Can't tell if return type is an external type (and what the external reference is)
• Can't determine help file or topic
• Can't see if class is static/instantiated
• Can't see IEnumerable attributes on class methods
• Can't see distinction between built-in and custom members of document components (eg. Sheet1.Name vs Sheet1.MyCustomMethod), other than bold custom-members
• Can't see order of scope resolution for references
• Can't compare 2 member signatures

It could be better...

[retailcoder]

Woah, that's some shopping list!

About these:

• Doesn't indicate hidden attribute of member (other than as grey font)
• Doesn't indicate default member (other than as an icon)
• Can't see distinction between built-in and custom members of document components (eg. Sheet1.Name vs Sheet1.MyCustomMethod), other than bold custom-members

Any idea for how else to represent them?

Also..

• Can't see order of scope resolution for references

Not sure what that means. It's constant, per language specs / scoping rules.

And:

• Can't compare 2 member signatures

Needs a formal spec, no idea what this means ;-)

A lot of these items require processing module and member attributes, which is on the roadmap but not implemented yet. Overall I like the idea of a better object browser, but a lot of these ideas need to be fleshed up, this issue is pretty much a project on its own!

[ThunderFrame]

It was more a moan about deficiencies in the current Object Explorer, than a shopping list...

The hard part is collecting the data, once you have that it just needs to be in a listview that supports sorting/grouping/filtering.

Re: Hidden/Default/Built-in/Custom... It's easier to sort/filter on a column value than sort/filter a font color/weight or icon.

Order of scope. Let's say I create a member called Range or GetObject. If I'm viewing All Libraries then I'd like to see the members from my project, and any/all of the referenced libraries in my search. If a member is in my project and in one or more referenced library/project, then I'd like a numeric column indicating the scope priority. If it's 1, then I know I can use it without an explicit library prefix, but if it's >1, then I need to explicitly reference the library name.

I'd like to be able to look at, for example, the parameter names, types and default values for any 2 methods, side by side.

[Vogel612]

What in the world is "Write-Only Properties"???

[retailcoder]

@Vogel612 a property that only exposes a setter. There's already an inspection for that, flagging it as a design smell.

[ThunderFrame]

I've seen write-only properties used for Passwords, but they are better dealt with in a method.

[ThunderFrame]

Object Browser doesn't show Alias details, or underlying method. Eg. Left function.