Reload File on Activate

[jarych]

A setting is found in Preferences, "Reload File on Activate".  This is shown with a checkbox.

What does "Reload File on Activate" mean?

[Rod]

I cant state it any better than the help file does.

Reload File on Activate - When this option is set, Just BASIC will check to see if a newer version of the currently loaded file exists and load it into the editor, replacing what is there. This only happens on activation of the editor, meaning that some window other than the Just BASIC editor was made active (another editor or GUI drawing program perhaps), and then the editor is made the active window again by clicking on it or by bringing it to the front in some other fashion (pressing Alt-Tab for example). Why this is useful: Some programmers may prefer to use their favorite text editor to write code, saving the code when they are ready to try running or debugging it. Just BASIC will be open on that file, so after they save in the other editor and switch to Just BASIC, with Reload File on Activate the newest saved version of the file is automatically reloaded into Just BASIC, and all that is needed to run it is to use the Run menu or to press Shift+F5.

[jarych]

Thanks Rod for that probably perfectly correct but messy answer. I still do not know what it means, but I will probably not need to deal with it. In case any confusion happens, I know only how to use Just BASIC editor that is part of Just BASIC, and no other editors, and I have not seen files with the same name but different revisions. My own programs I tend to keep updating the names as I develop as any project so no problems with same names with different revisions; instead, any revised documents have their own new appendages in their names. Like I just finished some progress of a file and included 1am in the name. Later I finished some more progress and saved as file document with inclusion of 2am in the name. I go on in that manner, usually using some form of month-day-year.

[Rod]

More simply. If checked, the Just BASIC editor will always reload the "current" .bas file when the editor window gains focus. So it has no impact whatsoever if you only use the Just BASIC editor. If however you use an alternative editor, and quite a lot of folks do, then Just BASIC will automaticaly load the "current" .bas file when it gains focus/is clicked. So the .bas file you just saved in your alternate editor is loaded automatically.

It isn't really about version naming, its about being sure you are working on/running the correct .bas text. For it to work the .bas name needs to remain consistent.

[B+]

It is very handy, I use Notepad++ to indent blocks of code. JB's editor detects changes and reloads the updated version.

[tsh73]

It is very handy, I use Notepad++

to work with two code panes of the same program (that is, two different places in code) at the same time.

JB's editor detects changes and reloads the updated version.