GExperts is a free set of tools built to increase the productivity of Delphi and C++Builder programmers by adding several features to the IDE. GExperts is developed as Open Source software and we encourage user contributions to the project. Quickly Open Files - Open a file anywhere in your project, on your search path, or in an unlimited length MRU in just a few keystrokes using incremental search.

Here you can configure the various parts of GExperts. The window has tabs for configuration of the individual experts, general settings, editor experts, IDE enhancements, and code editor enhancements.

The first tab, shown below, allows you to turn on and off the individual experts using the checkbox next to the expert name. If you uncheck an expert, it will be removed from the GExperts menu. You can also configure the shortcut key used to activate each expert. GExperts makes no attempt to ensure the assigned shortcut key is unique and many common shortcuts are already in use by the IDE's main menu, various context menus, or the code editor. If you find that one keystroke works and a second one doesn't, it is likely because the IDE has reserved the second shortcut for internal use. The IDE's help file lists most of the editor's reserved keystrokes for each keymapping, but not all of them. Note that you can scroll down the list on this tab to see the remainder of the experts.

The general settings, editor experts, IDE enhancements, and code editor enhancements are described in separate help sections.

The General tab allows setting locations for the VCL source, the default GExperts data storage directory (where GExperts stores your .xml and other data files), and the GExperts help file. You can also choose to use a custom UI font for all GExperts forms. Note you should only choose 7-9 point variable width fonts, or you may find that the GExperts forms do not scale very well to fit larger text. If you don't specify a custom UI font, the OS default font is used (generally that is Tahoma 8-point for Windows XP and earlier releases, and Segoe UI 9 point for Vista and later).

The ASCII Chart expert shows ASCII values for all of the characters in a given font. You can set various options by right clicking on the grid. You can choose to view the high or low half of the ASCII character range (0-127, 128-55) and choose between HEX and decimal number representations for a character using the buttons at the top of the window. You can also choose the display font and size for the ASCII chart. Several other options are available in the context menu for the ASCII chart.

Clicking a character in the ASCII character grid will copy that character to the edit box at the top right of the window. From there, you can copy any characters to the clipboard for use in your program.

The project backup expert enables you to backup an entire project to a zip file. Always save all files in your project before running this expert or your latest changes will not be included in the zip archive. When this expert is executed, a list of all files in the project appears in the dialog. You can add or remove files from the list using the Add and Remove buttons. To backup the project, click the Backup button.

Quick-access options such as password protection for your archive, the backup scope, and an option to search for included files on the library path are available via the Options button. These options are not saved between invocations of the expert; you must use the Backup Project Configuration dialog described below to set the default options.

The class browser enables you to view the classes in your project or in external directories, such as the VCL classes. External class groups can be added using the add button on the toolbar or by selecting Add from the File menu. Your project classes are automatically added to the class browser when you open a project in the IDE. You can refresh the display of classes by pressing the refresh button.

Classes can be viewed as a flat list or tree-structured hierarchy. You can choose which method you prefer using the View menu. To find a specific class, choose Find. The details shown for the selected class include the class members, the inheritance tree (this works best after you have added the RTL and VCL directories to your class database), and the interface code for the selected class member.

Two reports are available from the File menu. The first report prints the currently selected class and its methods. The second prints a hierarchical report based on the selected class. Both reports have print preview capability.

There is a filter toolbar to select which member types (properties, methods, etc.) and what visibility classes (Private, Protected, etc.) are listed in the Members tab. An options dialog provides access to the default filter settings, font settings, a setting to enable recursive parsing for classes, and other options.

You can jump to the source code for a class or method in the code editor by right clicking on the object and selecting the Goto menu option.

Only for V.I.P