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This sounds VERY useful, if it's integrated well...

P.S. Will the new public release of the SDK Browser (v2.1) be available for free like the old one?

Hello ChrisH,

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I find it useful myself, which is the main reason I write anything really.

The new Structure browsing works by first parsing out every struct { }
definition it finds in the AmigaOS4 SDK includes (currently there are 878 of them),
and presents them as a new list of items you can browse (along with the existing
set of; "Libraries", "Commands", "AutoDocs", "Includes", and "Search Results").

In addition to having a convenient list of all struct { }'s in the SDK,
you may also directly navigate to the definition of a given struct { }
simply by double-clicking on the name of a struct { } found in any text
you are currently viewing, and the SDK Browser will attempt to jump to
the include file that defines it, and take you to that definition
within the file.

I would also like to add further parsed lists of all #define
and enums found in the AmigaOS4 SDK header files,
since such an extension would be very handy as well.

This "double-click-to-move-to" feature works for all API calls,
Header file names, (and now Struct names) that the SDK Browser
can pick out and find a match for within any of its parsed lists.
Basically, if you want to see the definition (or source) of some
reference, just try to double-click on it. If the SDK Browser
does not immediately find it for you, you can use one of the
powerful (and multi-tasking) search functions found in the
Search bar. With this version, you now have the following searching
functions; "Find (in text)", "Find files (in dir)", "Search (Entire SDK)",
"Search (AutoDocs)", "Search (Includes)", "Search (File Browser Path)",
"Grep Search (in dir)", and "Search (in Search Results)".

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The quick answer to this is YES a version of the SDK Browser v2.1.0.0
will be made available for FREE to everyone as part of the FreeAVD project.

The longer answer to this is that there are actually two "FREE" versions
that will be released; a standalone copy that is FREEWARE, and a version
which integrates with the other components of the FreeAVD suite.

Additionally, there is the commercial version which is part of the
AVD Suite of course, and I will also be selling a stand-alone commercial
version as well.

The same applies for the GUI Builder and other components of
AVD/FreeAVD as they become available.

Currently, you can "register" your copy of the SDK Browser v2.1.0.0
(when it releases this month) for $24.95 (US Dollars). This will get
you a personalized copy, and access to all updates through v3.0.0.0.

Existing registered owners already get a copy of v2.1.0.0 as a free
update, and will be able to upgrade their copy for $14.95 (US Dollars)
if they would like all updates through v3.0.0.0 as well.

Anyone who purchased the AVD Suite will continue to get the latest
version of all of the AVD components until v1.0.0.0 of the entire
suite is finally released. After which an upgrade fee (or annual
support option) will be made available, so you can keep current
with the future releases of AVD itself.

It has been quite a while since this was discussed, so just to remind
those out there that do not already understand the AVD and FreeAVD
projects, here is a simple way to think about it:

FreeAVD will be made available for FREE, and is licensed
to allow you to create any FREEWARE software you wish (you are
not allowed to charge a fee for the resulting software, it must
be released as FREEWARE). However, you are not *required* to
distribute the source code if you do not wish to.

AVD will be available under two licenses (not counting
the ability to create FREEWARE of course); a version allowing
you to create (and sell) "SHAREWARE" (or optional payment
software), and a version allowing you to create and sell
COMMERCIAL software.

All software sold under either the SHAREWARE or COMMERCIAL
license of AVD are "Royalty Free", and no royalty payments
will ever need to be paid to BITbyBIT on the resulting
software; your code remains your property, even if AVD
may have written most of the code for you.

Best Regards,

Jamie Krueger
BITbyBIT Software Group LLC

/me faints! Just goes to show you, some things are never dead after all *cough* Simon

Good to see you back at it, Jamie!

Best of luck with the continued work.

Best regards,

Niels

Quote:

Thanks Niels, I am very happy to be back to Amiga programming again.

Best Regards,

Jamie Krueger
BITbyBIT Software Group LLC

That's a news!!! wow thank you! :-)

Awsome !

Welcome back. Im really interested in AVD, it could be an opportune time in creating AmigaOS / AVD tutorials to showcase AVDs features in HD on Youtube.

This will help promote development on Amiga systems.

Does AVD support :

code folding
Amiga OS API version / compatibility suggestions. It may help mold APIs to common code base.

Multiline selection auto comment/uncomment block

Language highlighting etc.

Actually, Im used to the old Visual Basic plugin CodeSMART, but here is the link to the .NET version :

Axtools CodeSMART

This software is indeed very useful in creating software on Amiga.

Thank you

Hi Jamie, I know that we live in an AmigaWorld but as you've more time now do you think that you'lll be able to deliver your suite soon enough? A video of your suite in action would be nice. Kamelito

@angelheart, @Kamelito, @all,

Quote:
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I would love to create some video presentations/tutorials of
each of the respective pieces of AVD / FreeAVD, and in fact
this has been the plan for some time.

I have the software I need to edit the raw video, but the
piece I am currently missing is either a software or hardware
solution to capture clean video of the Amiga(OS4) Workbench.
(Not filming the monitor displaying the screen, but recording
the raw video output of the screen directly)

What is out there today, software wise, that can do this job?

Quote:
Thank you for the suggestions. I believe all of the features you
have listed here are already planned for AVD's text editor.

Either way, the Text Editor is at such and early stage right now,
that even foundation level features could still be implemented
without any rework.

Personally, I have been coding almost exclusively over the last
few years using the Qt Creator IDE, and so I have gotten very
used to these kinds of features myself.

So along with the features we are talking about here, the number
one item I would like to see in the AVD Text Editor (not counting
Language Highlighting, which in my mind is a given), would be the
ability for the editor to parse the live source code and provide
dynamic navigation throughout that source. In addition also be able
suggest the completion of a function call you just defined.

For example, you define the prototype for a new function in a
header file, save it out and the editor parses the header file(.h)
and *learns* what you just wrote. Then, when you jump to the
corresponding code file(.c), and start typing the name of your
new function, the editor will be able to suggest completion of
the call, and remind you of each parameter needed for this call.
Additionally, once written, you could select any function call,
hit a hot-key, and automatically jump back to it's definition.

Anyone who has either used the Qt Creator, or similarly advanced
IDE, knows what I am attempting to describe. Like the SDK Browser
helps you navigate your way through function calls and structure
definitions within the AmigaOS4 SDK, we need an editor on the
Amiga which can allow you free form navigation and auto completion
help of your *own* source code, as you write it.

In reference to "Amiga OS API version / compatibility suggestions",
I see this as important as well. I have been looking into how to
accurately read the minimum library version (and hence OS release
version) for each function within the AmigaOS APIs. If this can
be determined dynamically, then I can program in this knowledge
and have the editor present suggestions for the target OS.

The work I am doing for A-EON involves targeting software for
both OS3 and OS4 machines; so making this easier for developers
(and myself) is definitely on the list.


Quote:
Ah, the long standing question, "How soon is soon enough"?

Believe me, I have struggled with this one for *literally* years.

When I first started the AVD project, long before being hired
by Amiga Inc. directly, and long before the first A-EON machines
started to appear, I was gambling that new Amiga hardware
would get out there in large enough quantities (about 10,000+
machines I figured), to support commercial development again
(even on a small scale). I had a two year window for this to
happen, and even after stretching that time frame to four years,
we were still way short of that happening.

(Hence I was forced to refocus my time back to contract work
at corporate level, and AVD development stalled out completely
for far too long.)

But in the mean time did the Amiga actually die?

No, not really. Some would argue that you can not kill
what is already dead, and so by that argument there
is no where for us to go but UP.

In fact, I have been seeing a resurgence of Amiga Classic
machines lately, with new hardware upgrades, new computer cases
for the A1200, and soon new Keycaps for old Amiga keyboards
as well (ie. Kickstarter projects from www.A1200.net).

Add to this A-EON's efforts in putting out new, even more
powerful machines, and directly supporting software development
projects for *both* OS3(M68K) and OS4(PPC) based platforms,
and things are looking up more and more every day.

In fact, by a strange coincidence a brand new X5000 machine
arrived here this morning.

So how soon really is, soon enough to make a difference?

That is impossible to say with any real certainty.
However, I personally feel that the timing may be right
for the AVD/FreeAVD project (and I hope many others)
to succeed.

As far how long I can personally continue to put full time
development hours into the AVD project this time around,
that will depend almost entirely on *you*.

The key to any healthy software project is regular funding.
You have to raise enough funds to pay for the hours you
would normally have to work to earn a living elsewhere,
in order to write the initial version. Then you need a steady
enough income stream to push that product, and it's support
to the community forward. Bringing more people in to
handle all the other areas that you need to put time
into to deliver and support a professional software
package, etc.

All I can really do is keeping pushing forward, and hope
that enough Amiga people out there will be willing to
put their money into registering (or upgrading their
license of) the SDK Browser, becoming a sponsor of the
FreeAVD project, purchasing AVD itself at the PRE-SALE
rate, or even just making a one-time donation. Literally
everything helps extend that development time and increase
the possibility for the respective projects to succeed
this time around.

So if you want to see AVD and FreeAVD finished and
out "soon enough", please consider supporting the
effort with one of the options I have listed above,
And if that is not possible, help out by spreading the word.

Best Regards,

Jamie Krueger
BITbyBIT Software Group LLC

@Jamie

Preordering theme died in amiga world propbably. It works only when ppls deliver all the time in time. But that unpossible today. Also, with AVD, probably not many (if anyone) will want to pre-order now, as 10 year already passed from first preorders a believe ?:) and not all of us even will alive for next 10 years :)

Probably, alternatively, pre-ordering may works, if at moment of preorder you deliver alpha-beta binaries right away. So, ppls who preorder , will have something right away with free updates later. I mean binaries of everything, not just of SDK browsers.

Or, releasing piece by piece, with fixed price, on already working product.

I for myself was in hope to buy today SDK browser, but sadly can't find on site how i can buy just SDK browser. I only see links on preorder of whole AVD, but can't find link "buy SDK browser standalone". Not on SDK Browser page, not everywhere on the site .. Or that should be like this, and one should preoprder whole thing to get SDK Browser ?

@kas1e,

Quote:
Everyone who purchases the AVD Suite [PRE-SALE] today, or has done so in the past,
is giving immediate access to in development ALPHA and BETA components of the entire
AVD Suite (and not just the SDK Browser).

Quote:
It will be possible to purchase only the SDK Browser (at the $24.95 US Dollars price).
The link to do so will be put back up as soon as the SDK Browser v2.1.0.0 is released
(so most likely in a few days, as the release is nearly ready for the general public now).

I apologize for the delay, and not putting the purchase link back up earlier, I have been
focused on getting the software itself ready. Please check back later (I will be
announcing the actual release of course, and you will be able to purchase the
stand alone version of the SDK Browser at that time).

Quote:
This will also happen. The SDK Browser is first, next is the GUI Builder, and then likely
the Text Editor (depending on what the community is in need of the most).

@Jamie

Quote:

Sounds good. Is any of components more or less in usable form except SDK browser ? I mean maybe text-editor or gui-builder ? (i don't ask about gui for gdb, as probably that will not happens, as our GDB port is still pretty buggy :( ). I ask because of possibly pre-odering.

Quote:

Aha got it, will wait then.

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Imho , we have many text editors already while almost none of gui-builders. But that only imho :)

@kas1e
Quote:
Currently the GUI Builder for AVD is the next most complete of the set;
but it has a long way to go to be really usable. Where I last left off,
I was able to design a graphical interface with it, save it, and have it
generate build-able code applied within the AVD Template sources.

So the primary thing that was/is missing at the moment is the ability to
fill in what the various interface components are suppose to do - track
those changes - and then build a version of that.

Effectively it can be used to build you a starting point by combining the already
flushed out AVD Template sources with your GUI design, all "stubbed" out
waiting for you to fill in what each button would do, etc. Once.
It can not currently reload any external changes and *regenerate* the
modify sources without losing those changes - because it does not know
that you made them.

So if you wanted to change that GUI design again visually using the GUI Builder,
you could not do so without possibly overwriting some of your hand written
extensions.

The best way to think about this, is that the GUI Builder plus AVD Template
source can build you a "one-shot", ready to build program, *today* that does
not do much more than look pretty. You could then take that generated source as
launching platform of new code, and start filling in the details of each action
by hand. What you can not do *yet* is maintain that build visually. In other
words, the GUI Builder / AVD still needs the code to understand your changes
to the sources, reload them in, allow you to make visual changes, and
*regenerate* the modified sources again.

Also, there have been more than a few changes to AmigaOS4 itself since
the current code base for the GUI Builder was last built; so while it
is building again now, there are bugs and old features which need to be
updated, as they have become broken under the latest OS release.

Quote:
Just to clarify, at this time I do not plan on taking *pre-sale orders*
for anything outside the entire AVD Suite. Like the SDK Browser, the
GUI Builder, Text Editor, etc. will start selling as stand-alone
versions, when they are ready for actual use.

That is, unless the community really *wants* to purchase the GUI Builder,
etc. while they are still in development; but that would not be my first
choice.

Quote:
I agree, and yes, the GUI Builder is my next priority after the
SDK Browser rolls out.

On a side note, I have spent the better part of the last four years
working on a project where I created a similar, yet slightly different,
graphical design system for generating industrial use electric energy
reports. While this was written in "C Plus Plus/Qt", and may or may not see
itself directly running on AmigaOS4, much of what I designed for that
project, can be used to finish out AVD itself. So I am looking forward
to applying some of those designs, and others I have thought about over
the years, as I was day dreaming about getting back to finish the AVD
project. Well... I'm back.

I have just released the SDK Browser v2.1.0.0,
in both Commercial and FREEWARE versions,
for everyone!



Also, as promised, the purchase link for the
SDK Browser is back up, including the special
upgrade rate for existing registered owners
wanting to stay current with all releases past
v2.1.0.0 through to v3.0.0.0.

Download it here: SDK Browser v2.1.0.0

The updated feature list can be found here: SDK Browser v2.1.0.0 - README

Enjoy!

Best Regards,
Jamie Krueger
BITbyBIT Software Group LLC

Just purchased the commercial version. Thank you for the update, Jamie!

@trixie,
Quote:
Got it!

Thank you very much for your purchase, I hope you enjoy the new version.

Also, congratulations you got in early enough to be the first
new registered owner of the SDK Browser in 10 Years!

I will get the link to your personalized (registered) version
to you as soon as possible today.

Best Regards,

Jamie Krueger
BITbyBIT Software Group LLC

Update: @trixie, an email with your download link has been sent to you,
and I have also updated the SDK Browser with a maintenance build
to address finding a mismatched AutoDoc. The SDK Browser v2.1.1.0
will now find the "xenares.doc" file, which does not match its
interface name of "xena". The download link I sent you is for
version 2.1.1.0.

@jamie

Cool ! I purchased it as well. Probably second one after Trixie ?:)

But you for sure need to make it as one more news item on aw and there. As not everyone will read last comments in old news. Also uploading freeware version on os4depot.net and aminet will help a lot to promote your site and apps more :)

@kas1e,

Quote:
Thanks for the purchase, I am working on your release now,
and yes, you are the next to register, right after Trixie
since its release a few hours ago.

I have already submitted news items for amigaworld.net, here, and on amiga.org.
The last time I checked they were not accepted quite yet. Apparently it takes longer
than a direct reply on an existing thread.

I will also be doing as you suggest, and uploading the FREEWARE version
to os4depot and aminet sometime today.

Best Regards,

Jamie Krueger
BITbyBIT Software Group LLC

@JamieKrueger

Quote:
It feels a little snappier than the previous version, and the new structure browsing feature is a great addition. I'm glad to have supported the effort - we need more professional software like this!