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The Basic Editor

Passolo comes with a built in programming environment. The Sax Basic Editor is an interactive design environment for developing, testing and executing Sax Basic scripts.

In this section we will browse through the main features of this IDE. We will not be able to cover all of them, but we will return to them when it seems appropriate.

The Sax Basic Editor makes it possible for you to create, modify, and debug code behind the Passolo application. This integrated development environment exists outside the PASSOLO application window, making it possible for developers to write code in Basic and simultaneously view the results of the programming in the Passolo application. Although the Basic editor exists outside the application window, it runs in the same memory space as its host, thereby benefits from the tight integration of event handling, as well as enhanced performance.

The Sax Basic Editor also provides the following features:

  • Enhanced editor with syntax checking and color-coded syntax.
  • Debugging tools to help track program execution and find bugs.
  • Object browser for browsing and searching for properties and methods across object model libraries.
  • Editor assistance features for instant syntax reference and object model assistance to reduce programming time.

The easiest way to enter Sax Basic Editor from Passolo is pressing the shortcut key ALT+F11. You can also enter it from the Tools menu, via Macros or Open Basic IDE.

When the Passolo application window is closed, the Sax Basic Editor is automatically closed if it had been showing.

The development tools can be accessed through the Sax Basic Editor, including the object browser, code windows, user dialog editor, and the debugger.

Below a few features often used in the Sax Basic Editor are listed:

  • A macro can easily be executed from the editor, when you have made changes and want to observe the effect. This is done by placing the cursor somewhere within the code of the macro you want to execute and then press F5.
  • Help on a specific command or keyword in Sax Basic can be found by placing the pointer over the keyword an pressing F1.
  • The Object Browser can be activated by clicking on the browser icon or via the context menu.
  • Cut, copy, paste and general text navigation works as in normal word processors.