Projects & Workspaces

dougclind · Post by **dougclind** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:39 pm

I have 3 separate websites I'm working on. One of them is in a subdirectory of the other because they're on the same server (temporarily). I've never, ever, EVER used anything like a project or "workspace" thing and I'm getting very frustrated trying to start it up.

It seems like a good thing to be able to switch to a different set of files instead of having 30 or 40 files open at the same time from different projects. So the idea of selecting a project and switching to its set of last opened files is what I'd like.

What I would EXPECT a workspace/project thing to do is let me define a disk folder as a project folder and I could have several project folders inside a "workspace" and it wouldn't matter where they are on the disk. When I tried to build a workspace it seemed like it .... well I don't know what the heck it was doing and all I got was a duplication of my folder hierarchy. As if every folder was a project or something.

It's VERY VERY frustrating and reading the help files was almost worthless.

Post by **jussij** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:11 am

The Zeus workspace is nothing more than a collection of projects.

It is similar to the Visual Studio model.

I have 3 separate websites I'm working on.

I think you could model that as either one workspace with 3 projects or 3 workspaces with one project.

So the idea of selecting a project and switching to its set of last opened files is what I'd like.

The selecting of an active project in Zeus is once again modelled on Visual Studio.

When you select an active project it does not open/close any files.

It only determines which project is active.

So if you use the Workspace, Build menu for example, these menus always work on the currently active project.

In Zeus you will never see files being opened/closed as you change the active project.

This will only happens at the Workspace level.

What I would EXPECT a workspace/project thing to do is let me define a disk folder as a project folder

You can do this as follows.

1) Create a new workspace.

2) Delete the default set of filders found in the project of the workspace that was created.

3) Open up the Windows Explorer.

4) Drag and drop the disk folder onto the project inside of Zeus and now all the files in that folder will be in that project.

I could have several project folders inside a "workspace" and it wouldn't matter where they are on the disk.

You can do this as well.

1) Just right click on the workspace that was created above and select Add new project

2) Once again delete the default set of filders found in the newly created project.

3) Open up the Windows Explorer.

4) Drag and drop the disk folder onto the new project as before.

NOTE: The folders in a Zeus project are only logical.

By this I mean they may or may not map directly to real folders.

The choice is up to the user.

Cheers Jussi

dougclind · Post by **dougclind** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:55 am

I haven't used VS for several years. Remember absolutely nothing about it. (use it or lose it. I've lost it.)

The only thing motivating me to try workspaces is being able to open the last set of open files for a project. Is there a way to do that using workspaces or projects?

I don't need anything to organize the files for me although I would like to have a source control system available. Does Zeus somehow have a version control thing in it? Or do I have to link it to something like Source Safe (which I can get if I need to, but don't have it at the moment.)

Post by **jussij** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 3:10 pm

I would like to have a source control system available. Does Zeus somehow have a version control thing in it?

Zeus works with CVS. For more details use the Start Run button Zeus for Windows, Tutorials, Version Control, CVS menu.

Zeus will work also work with Subversion using Agent SVN

Or do I have to link it to something like Source Safe (which I can get if I need to, but don't have it at the moment.)

Zeus will alos work with Source Safe

In all cases just use the Options, Editor Options menu and select the Source Control panel.

Cheers Jussi

dougclind · Post by **dougclind** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:25 pm

Thanks Jussi, I'll try to research the CVS thing and see if I can figure out something useful. But I still don't have a clear answer about being able to call up different sets of files for different projects. Can I or can't I do that in Zeus?

Post by **jussij** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:32 am

But I still don't have a clear answer about being able to call up different sets of files for different projects.

I'm not really sure what you mean by this.

But what I know is you can put any numbers projects into a workspace.

And you can put any number of folders and/or files into those projects.

Also the folders are logical so you can even group your files into groups that don't even match the disk folder structure.

Finally you can add/delete folders and files into the Zeus workspace and this will not touch you actuallly disk files/folders so it is easy to experiment.

With that model you should be able to create any workspace/project/folder/file structure you like.

What sort of stucture are you looking for

Cheers Jussi

dougclind · Post by **dougclind** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:16 pm

I alternate between working on different projects. I'll usually have a bunch of different source code files open at the same time for each project and that gets really messy. I might have 30 or more files open but I don't want to close them. Keeping the cursor in the same place is helpful for picking up where I left off in that project.

So I wish that I could say which files belong to which project and then close the project, retaining the list of open files and the cursor location for each file, just like when I close Zeus. Then call up another project and have all the files pop back up where I left off.

Post by **jussij** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:37 pm

So I wish that I could say which files belong to which project and then close the project, retaining the list of open files and the cursor location for each file, just like when I close Zeus. Then call up another project and have all the files pop back up where I left off.

The only way to do this to create three workspaces, each with just one project and to switch between these workspaces using the workspace history details found on the workspace menu.

Zeus save the file history details at the workspace level, not at the project level.

Cheers Jussi

dougclind · Post by **dougclind** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:53 pm

That's all I need. Thanks so much Jussi!

dougclind · Post by **dougclind** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:18 am

I can't make this work Jussi. I totally don't understand what it's trying to do and I'm sorry but it is not at all intuitive. I don't have the time to make a big study of how to use your workspaces just so I can have sets of files related to a project.

Maybe as an alternative, is there a way to call up different instances of Zeus and save the information on which files are open into some place unique to each instance of Zeus? That would be good enough.

Post by **jussij** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:01 am

I can't make this work Jussi.

What version of Zeus are you running

I totally don't understand what it's trying to do and I'm sorry but it is not at all intuitive.

Try the following

Create a simple 'MyTest' workspace with just one project
Open a few files
Now click on the Workspace, Close menu
You will see the workspace close and all the files will also be closed
Now select the 'MyTest' workspace from the workspace history
You should see all the files that where open in step two will have been restored

If you don't see this use the Options, Editor Options menu and in the General section make sure the Attach editor state to workspace option is checked.

I can have sets of files related to a project.

I thought we where talking about file state

I honestly am not sure what sort of behaviour you are expecting to see

Because of this it very difficult to give advice since I just don't know what you are expecting to see

Maybe as an alternative, is there a way to call up different instances of Zeus

The -s option will start a second instace of Zeus.

and save the information on which files are open into some place unique to each instance of Zeus?

The document_list macro function returns a list of open documents so you could write a Lua macro similar to this.

Code: Select all

function key_macro()
  local open_files = document_files(1, " ")

  if (string.len(open_files) > 0) then
    command = "zeus.exe -s " .. open_files
    message_box(0, command)
    system("zeus.exe -s " .. open_files, "", 0)
  end
end

key_macro() -- run the macro

Cheers Jussi