[Solved] AOO Basic Macro Development Environment display

[ThanksForOo]

I've been spending a lot of time in the Oo Basic macro editing and development environment (Tools/Macros/Organize Macros/OpenOffice Basic/Edit) and would like to customize a couple of items to make it easier for me to use.

1) How do I change the coding pane background color? (my aging eyes need more contrast, so I'd like to change the background from gray to white)

2) I do not use the "watch" and "calls" panes taking up about 1/5th of the screen at the screen bottom. How do I close or remove the "watch" and "calls" panes?

Out of curiosity, the Compile icon, in my upper toolbar, doesn't seem to do anything. Where can I learn more about it?

Many thanks.

[FJCC]

1) I do no \t see any setting to change the color of the background in the code editing area. I would say it is white in any case. You can change the color of the text. That will alter or eliminate the syntax highlighting but might make it easier to read. Go to the menu Tools -> Options, expand the OpenOffice list on the left and select Appearance. Scroll down to the Basic Syntax Highlighting area and you can set the various text colors.
2) If you hover the cursor over the border between the Watch and Call areas and the main coding area, the cursor will change shape to have up and down pointing arrows. Click and drag the border down to shrink the Watch and Call regions.
I just found that the cursor does not always change shape. I does seem to always work to drag the border up and down.

[ThanksForOo]

FBCC, thank you for #2 suggestion. I had tried that before and only was able to undock the panes and get floating windows with no change to the edit area. But after trying again now I found an active spot (somewhere) that let me drag those "pains" away.

I've attached an image showing my light gray background. This is in windows 8.1 ... maybe it is a window thing...

[Zizi64]

You can adjust the size of the characters in the settings. A size 14 font will be more readable for you than the size 10.

Click on the image for a sharper view.

[JeJe]

Are other windows like the edit window in Notepad in grey also?

If so, its a Windows setting with instructions on how to change it here:

https://www.quora.com/In-Windows-8-how- ... ound-color

Following those instructions, if the "Window" registry entry highlighted in the picture isn't 255 255 255 then change it to that and restart your computer.

[JeJe]

Before a computer can run the code it needs to convert the text in the pane into something the computer understands - called compiling. I'd assume that pressing that button makes running the code quicker when you next call it as the code is already compiled.

You may find these indespensible:

https://extensions.openoffice.org/en/pr ... -ide-tools

https://extensions.openoffice.org/en/node/201/releases

[ThanksForOo]

You can adjust the size of the characters in the settings. A size 14 font will be more readable for you than the size 10.

Yep, that was the 1st thing I did -- And 14-pt, to boot! That, and now nixing the Watch and Calls panes, has helped a lot. Now if I could get the background off gray and display white... Another poster, JeJe, asked if my other window text area are gray; no, just Oo's macro coding area.

[ThanksForOo]

Hi, JeJe, thanks for taking interest in my macro-plights...

Before a computer can run the code it needs to convert the text in the pane into something the computer understands - called compiling. I'd assume that pressing that button makes running the code quicker when you next call it as the code is already compiled.

Right. I'm very familiar with compilers (Fortran, PL/I, Pascal, C, VB, etc), I've even written one myself -- I was just curious if that feature was implemented. I will check out the extension links you provided.

Are other windows like the edit window in Notepad in grey also?

No, Notepad and other Windows text areas are white. But just a moment ago, I ran Oo afresh (1st time today) and now the coding area is snow-white. Just guessing, but perhaps my poking around in the Tools/Options/Colors dialogs created a transient instability.

Anyways, I'm good now, and I'll mark this solved. Thanks again!

[JeJe]

Forgot to mention

https://www.pitonyak.org/oo.php