Features request

[mnf]

After using Flowcode 7 for a couple of months - here's my 5 cents worth of ideas: Some may have been mentioned before.

• 1) Auto updates (rather than having to find, download and unzip) - if Steam can do it for games and software! Backward comparability is maybe a sticking point. New components install automagically (or a dialog giving options to install them on startup).
  2) A proper manual. Something ringbound would be good. Searching the website is ok - but 'oh no only v5' moments do occur.
  3) Code-folding. Loops/switches etc should be fairly easy to implement. I would also like sub-routines / macros / procedures / functions to be able to be displayed 'boxed off' on the main flowchart page (to the side but user-positionable) - I am lucky enough to have a large screen.
  4) A 'f5' - compile to chip. Without the annoying 'save now' and 'compilation finished' dialogs to close...
  5) Better stability - still has a few lockups (usually on start new project) and a few problems with 'problem in script on page' errors.
  6) More components - and more included with base system. I'm just greedy I guess - but the more hardware it supports the better.
  7) A lower price - sorry - but it is a premium price product. Sadly in these internet days people expect everything to be free - but £300+ for a reasonable spec is a big purchase (education users maybe a different market to hobbyists) I was lucky enough to get during 50% discount day.... Matrix have to make a living but if the entry price were lower I suspect sales would be higher... I use AVR, PIC and ARM chips and +£80 per target set is a big ask.
  8 ) A larger chip view (or resizable) for the properties tab - I find the chip view hard to read (poor eyesight) - 'chip view' from View menu is bigger but could go larger still... For targets such as Arduino could pins be described as D1/A1 instead of Port B1 etc...
  9) Maximize boxes on code view, chip view etc.. Wouldn't hurt if they remembered their size and place too.
  10) Some tidying of dialog boxes for macros - eg better default field on entry, tabbing between fields and keyboard shortcuts - I much prefer to use keyboard to mouse.
  11) Dashboard panel could be tidier - controls easier to use (anyone else get to zoom rather than move a component?), components placed apart rather than all at center of box etc
  12) A built in terminal program (like the Arduino IDE) that automatically disconnects from the serial port during uploading - so I don't need to close/reopen putty!
  13) Linux version.... It doesn't hurt to dream!

- So looking forward to v8. However, I should also state that Flowcode provides one of the slickest and most productive programming environments I have seen - and it is a great way to introduce micro controller programming and create programs!

Martin

[Steve]

Hi Martin,

Thanks very much for that list. We've discussed many of these items and some are already on the list for v8.

We have been working on V8 now for a few months and I'm genuinely excited about our plans. I can't say too much now, though! We'll release more information later this year or early next.

Regards,
Steve.

[mnf]

Also for the Arduino users here:

Better support for shields - I.e. default pin connections have correct values...

I would like to see a simple (i.e. user creatable) format file that could store these definitions - then we could start creating a library to support some of the many shields out there!

Similarly for PIC users they should also work (or be available for) the Olimex Pinguino and other development boards.