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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
Expecco contains a small number of features which might be different or unkown to other UI frameworks,
Expecco contains a number of features which might be different or unknown to other UI frameworks,
but which are nevertheless very useful to know.
but which are nevertheless very useful to know.

== General Layout ==
[[Bild:Expecco General Layout1.png|thumb|300px|Expecco showing a new project (nothing selected in the tree). The left part shows the project tree, the right part the editor (here none)]]
[[Bild:Expecco General Layout2.png|thumb|300px|Expecco with an action item selected. The right part now shows the item editor]]

Expecco is a multi-Window and multi-Tab Application: you can open multiple main windows (via the ''"Window"'' menu) and work within the same project or in multiple projects at the same time. Each such main window presents one project. However, if two main windows are opened on the same project, they will monitor each other and update themself as required. If you started to modify an item in one window, the other will switch to "read only" mode, and update its contents once you accepted the change in the first window.

Each main window is organized under a variable number of tabs, each presenting a selected item from the project (i.e. a test plan, activity, action or attachment).

Each tab consists of two major parts: a project tree on the left, and an edit area at the right. The editor is specific to the kind of object being selected.

Most often used editors are:
* Test plan editor: arranges actions into a sequence of test cases (which are actions)
* [[CompoundBlock_Editor-CompoundWorksheet_Editor/en|Compound action editor]]: to edit actions defined by an activity diagram
* [[Attachment_Editor/en|Attachment editor]]: to edit the contents of test data

== Dual Use of the Tree ==
The tree has different behavior on Click vs. Press-and-Move.
A click selects the element for editing; a press-and-move initiates a drag operation to copy or move the selected element to somewhere else (either another position inside the same tree or to another tree, or into a diagram as an action step).

This behavior may be hindering, if you want to drag and drop actions from the tree.
For this, open a separate tree, which is used exclusively for drag&drop (click on the split-tree button above the tree).

It should be noted, that once you are more experienced, you will probably no longer drag&drop from the tree, but instead press <kbd>CTRL-n</kbd> in the editor, to place actions via a dialog, or press <kbd>CTRL-c</kbd> / <kbd>CTRL-c</kbd> to copy-paste it.


== Menus and Toolbars with Delayed Menus ==
== Menus and Toolbars with Delayed Menus ==
Some menu funtions show a list of choices, if you click it and wait for a while.
Some menu funtions show a list of choices, if you click it and wait for a while (keeping the mouse button or touchpad fingers down).
Often a list of previous items or other history is presented.
Such menus items are displayed with a ''greyish'' or lighter down-arrow beside.
If you click on the arrow, the menu will appear immediately.


Such menus items are displayed with a ''greyish'' or lighter down-arrow beside, as for example in this toolbar menu item:
Items with such a delayed menu will trigger their default action, if you just click, without waiting for a menu to appear.
[[Datei:Menu Back button.png]]
Often a list of previous items or other history is presented by this so called "''delayed menu''".

* If you press and hold, the sub menu will appear after a short delay.
* If you just click, without waiting for a menu to appear, the default action will be executed.
* If you click on the arrow, the sub menu will appear immediately.


== Menus and Toolbars with Regular Submenus ==
== Menus and Toolbars with Regular Submenus ==
These are displayed with a ''blackish'' or darker arrow beside them. The menu will drop down immediately.
These are displayed with a ''blackish'' or darker arrow beside them. The menu will drop down immediately.


== Toolbar Items which Remember the Last Choice (Quickmenus) ==
== Separating Handles (between sub-panes) ==
[[Bild:Expecco General QuickMenu1.png|thumb|150px|Quickmenu button before]]
[[Bild:Expecco General QuickMenu2.png|thumb|150px|Selecting an item]]
[[Bild:Expecco General QuickMenu3.png|thumb|150px|Quickmenu button afterwards]]
The item-creation toolbar items above the left tree will remember your last choice, and keep that as default action.
These items are of the above described "''delayed-menu''" type,
and will change their image to reflect the previous action's choice. This will be the action performed if you click and release quickly.

== Resize Handles (between Sub Panes) ==
Depending on your view style setting, these handles may only show up while the mouse pointer is hovering over it.
Some of them are shown with a single arrow (above and below the ''gritty rubber area'', and others are shown with arrows pointing in opposite directions.
Some of them are shown with a single arrow (above and below the ''gritty rubber area'', and others are shown with arrows pointing in opposite directions.


If you press-and-hold the mouse button onthe center area, these handles behave as known in other UI frameworks: just drag and resize the views underneath.
If you press-and-hold the mouse button in the center area, these handles behave as known in other UI frameworks: just drag and resize the views underneath.


If you click on one of the arrows, the views' siyes will change to full size towards the arrow. As mentioned above, some only present the fullsize-option on one side.
If you click on one of the arrows, the views' sizes will change to full size towards the arrow. As mentioned above, some only present the fullsize-option on one side.


Now, if one of the view's is resiyed to full size, another click on the handle will restore the previous size, wheres a press-and-move on the handle performs as normal.
If one of the views is currently being resized to full size, a single click on the center (not a press-and-move) will restore the previous size, whereas a press-and-move on the handle acts as normal.


== Toolbar Items which Remember the last Choice ==
== F8: Again in the Text Editor ==
<kbd>F8</kbd> is a shortcut for the "''Again''" keyboard function, which repeats your last text edit operation. Be it a delete, replace, or search-and-replace.
The item-creation toolbar items above the left tree will remember your last choice, and keep that as default action.
A very powerful operation. In the popup menu, you'll also find ''"Again for All"'', which repeats the operation until no more matches are found (eg. to replace or cut all occurrences of a word)
These items are og the above described "delayed-menu" type.


== F8 in the Text Editor ==
== CTRL-V: Paste History in the Text Editor ==
In addition to the common paste operation (<kbd>CTRL-v</kbd>) which pastes the last copy- or cut text,
This is a shortcut for the "''Again''" keyboard function, which repeats your last edit operation. Be it a delete, replace, or search-and-replace.
expecco keeps a history of previous copy/cut texts. Press <kbd>CTRL-V</kbd> (both SHIFT and CTRL pressed) to get a dialog from which you select the text to be pasted.
A very powerful operation.


== CTRL-O: Toggle between Overwrite and Insert Mode in the Text Editor ==
== Dual Use of the Tree ==
The title already says it. There is also a little indicator showing "I" or "O" at the bottom right. The indicator also as a popup menu.
The tree has different behavior on Click vs. Press-and-Move.
A click selects the element for editing; a press-and-move initiates a drag, to copy the selected element somewhere else.


== Speed Scroll ==
This behavior may be hindering, if you want to drag and drop actions from the tree.
The faster you move on a touchpad, the faster will it scroll.
For this, open a separate tree (via the split-tree button above the tree), which is exclsively for drag&drop.

(it should be noted, that once you are more experiences, you will probably no longer drag&drop from the tree,
== Horizontal Scroll with the Mouse Wheel ==
but instead press "CTRL-n" in the editor, to place actions via a dialog.
Hold the Shift (or Cmd-) key.

== Info Messages at the Bottom ==
Some info messages at the bottom disappear after some time.
<br>The popup menu item "''Previous Masseges''" brings them back (right click in the info message area) .

== Use the Action Finder ==
[[Bild:Expecco General ActionFinder1.png|thumb|250px|Searching for a String Splitter by Name/Tag...]]
[[Bild:Expecco General ActionFinder2.png|thumb|250px|Searching for a String Splitter by Input & Output...]]
If you need an action to perform some string or numeric operation,
but do not know if such a function is found in the standard library,
and where it might be, follow along the following steps:

* try the action finder.
: in the diagram editor, press <kbd>CTRL-n</kbd> (aka ''New Step'');
: then, in the followup dialog,
:: try a name search providing one more keywords (separated by commas).
:: use obvious words, such as "string", "plus", "split" etc.
: if there is nothing which seems to fit,
:: click on "Search by Result" to open the Action Finder
:: enter an example set of input values and the desired result and click on "Search".
: if you are lucky, there is such an action, and you can click on "New Step" in the finder.

Hint: in the Action Finder's top menu, select ''"Show Me How it Works"'' - ''"Find a Library Function"''. Listen and be impressed! (you need sound output for this)

Aktuelle Version vom 23. Juni 2023, 09:27 Uhr

Introduction[Bearbeiten]

Expecco contains a number of features which might be different or unknown to other UI frameworks, but which are nevertheless very useful to know.

General Layout[Bearbeiten]

Expecco showing a new project (nothing selected in the tree). The left part shows the project tree, the right part the editor (here none)
Expecco with an action item selected. The right part now shows the item editor

Expecco is a multi-Window and multi-Tab Application: you can open multiple main windows (via the "Window" menu) and work within the same project or in multiple projects at the same time. Each such main window presents one project. However, if two main windows are opened on the same project, they will monitor each other and update themself as required. If you started to modify an item in one window, the other will switch to "read only" mode, and update its contents once you accepted the change in the first window.

Each main window is organized under a variable number of tabs, each presenting a selected item from the project (i.e. a test plan, activity, action or attachment).

Each tab consists of two major parts: a project tree on the left, and an edit area at the right. The editor is specific to the kind of object being selected.

Most often used editors are:

  • Test plan editor: arranges actions into a sequence of test cases (which are actions)
  • Compound action editor: to edit actions defined by an activity diagram
  • Attachment editor: to edit the contents of test data

Dual Use of the Tree[Bearbeiten]

The tree has different behavior on Click vs. Press-and-Move. A click selects the element for editing; a press-and-move initiates a drag operation to copy or move the selected element to somewhere else (either another position inside the same tree or to another tree, or into a diagram as an action step).

This behavior may be hindering, if you want to drag and drop actions from the tree. For this, open a separate tree, which is used exclusively for drag&drop (click on the split-tree button above the tree).

It should be noted, that once you are more experienced, you will probably no longer drag&drop from the tree, but instead press CTRL-n in the editor, to place actions via a dialog, or press CTRL-c / CTRL-c to copy-paste it.

Menus and Toolbars with Delayed Menus[Bearbeiten]

Some menu funtions show a list of choices, if you click it and wait for a while (keeping the mouse button or touchpad fingers down).

Such menus items are displayed with a greyish or lighter down-arrow beside, as for example in this toolbar menu item: Menu Back button.png

Often a list of previous items or other history is presented by this so called "delayed menu".

  • If you press and hold, the sub menu will appear after a short delay.
  • If you just click, without waiting for a menu to appear, the default action will be executed.
  • If you click on the arrow, the sub menu will appear immediately.

Menus and Toolbars with Regular Submenus[Bearbeiten]

These are displayed with a blackish or darker arrow beside them. The menu will drop down immediately.

Toolbar Items which Remember the Last Choice (Quickmenus)[Bearbeiten]

Quickmenu button before
Selecting an item
Quickmenu button afterwards

The item-creation toolbar items above the left tree will remember your last choice, and keep that as default action. These items are of the above described "delayed-menu" type, and will change their image to reflect the previous action's choice. This will be the action performed if you click and release quickly.

Resize Handles (between Sub Panes)[Bearbeiten]

Depending on your view style setting, these handles may only show up while the mouse pointer is hovering over it. Some of them are shown with a single arrow (above and below the gritty rubber area, and others are shown with arrows pointing in opposite directions.

If you press-and-hold the mouse button in the center area, these handles behave as known in other UI frameworks: just drag and resize the views underneath.

If you click on one of the arrows, the views' sizes will change to full size towards the arrow. As mentioned above, some only present the fullsize-option on one side.

If one of the views is currently being resized to full size, a single click on the center (not a press-and-move) will restore the previous size, whereas a press-and-move on the handle acts as normal.

F8: Again in the Text Editor[Bearbeiten]

F8 is a shortcut for the "Again" keyboard function, which repeats your last text edit operation. Be it a delete, replace, or search-and-replace. A very powerful operation. In the popup menu, you'll also find "Again for All", which repeats the operation until no more matches are found (eg. to replace or cut all occurrences of a word)

CTRL-V: Paste History in the Text Editor[Bearbeiten]

In addition to the common paste operation (CTRL-v) which pastes the last copy- or cut text, expecco keeps a history of previous copy/cut texts. Press CTRL-V (both SHIFT and CTRL pressed) to get a dialog from which you select the text to be pasted.

CTRL-O: Toggle between Overwrite and Insert Mode in the Text Editor[Bearbeiten]

The title already says it. There is also a little indicator showing "I" or "O" at the bottom right. The indicator also as a popup menu.

Speed Scroll[Bearbeiten]

The faster you move on a touchpad, the faster will it scroll.

Horizontal Scroll with the Mouse Wheel[Bearbeiten]

Hold the Shift (or Cmd-) key.

Info Messages at the Bottom[Bearbeiten]

Some info messages at the bottom disappear after some time.
The popup menu item "Previous Masseges" brings them back (right click in the info message area) .

Use the Action Finder[Bearbeiten]

Searching for a String Splitter by Name/Tag...
Searching for a String Splitter by Input & Output...

If you need an action to perform some string or numeric operation, but do not know if such a function is found in the standard library, and where it might be, follow along the following steps:

  • try the action finder.
in the diagram editor, press CTRL-n (aka New Step);
then, in the followup dialog,
try a name search providing one more keywords (separated by commas).
use obvious words, such as "string", "plus", "split" etc.
if there is nothing which seems to fit,
click on "Search by Result" to open the Action Finder
enter an example set of input values and the desired result and click on "Search".
if you are lucky, there is such an action, and you can click on "New Step" in the finder.

Hint: in the Action Finder's top menu, select "Show Me How it Works" - "Find a Library Function". Listen and be impressed! (you need sound output for this)



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