If you cut & paste a component (eg a label) from one container (eg a form) into another container (eg a panel) then the component retains its left/top coordinates from its previous parent, often rendering it invisible if the new parent is smaller than the original.

You can obviously fix it by setting left/top in the properties panel but it's a bit of a pain if you move a load of components from a form to a panel as you have to select each one in the properties panel (or set them en masse to 0,0 and pick them out one by one from the pile).

On 8/30/2015 3:29 PM, squiffy wrote:

> If you cut & paste a component (eg a label) from one container (eg a form) into another container (eg a panel) then the component retains its left/top coordinates from its previous parent, often rendering it invisible if the new parent is smaller than the original.

I consider this a feature since it retains relative positions - lot of
the time i paste things in and no additional work is needed since
they're already properly positioned.

What are you proposing as a solution - move components if top or left
are outside panel ?

I personally would not want the IDE to move/reposition things around
though since then i'd  need to still position them myself again - it's
often easier to just make panel larger and then use Crtl+Arrow to move
the whole groups of components into proper position.

Raul

For a group selection I can see your reasoning, but it does it for an individual component as well (though that's less of a hassle to reposition, I suppose).

I guess it's just personal preference. I seem to mostly move components from larger areas into smaller ones as the dev. proceeds. I start of designing on a form, then break it down into panels and what not later on. Most of the other environments I use ensure the components remains visible (Lazarus/VS to name two),  which is why I noticed it so much. So I'd favour EWB doing the same. They could stay relatively positioned to each other if there was a group selection, but the starting point could be 0,0.

No big deal though.

(missed a bit - wish I could edit posts

If the top/left of the topmost/leftmost component are at least visible then you would know to increase the size of the new container and you would know the paste worked. Problem is you can often have a blank looking container after a paste, giving the impression nothing happened. At least to a newbie like me.

I encountered this as well. What would be a solution though? Jumbling them all at 0,0 won't work cause many would be on the same area.

What I did was set the target panel to a big size and then moved the components about. That was time consuming and annoying.

But, what could be a solution?

Comments above came as I was typing my message.

Possible Solution : Pasting action prompts user to place as a group from top-left of  0,0 OR at set coordinates?

That should be good enough.

>> Trinione wrote:
>> Possible Solution : Pasting action prompts user to place
>> as a group from top-left of  0,0 OR at set coordinates?

I like that idea, but everyone is going to be different. I like having at least one component visible after a paste even if the others remain off screen relative to that.

Just tried Visual Studio 2012 again using the exact same layout I had in EWB when I wrote my original post. Actually no better. It posts dead centre - so you do get some sort of visible component to confirm the paste actually happened - but components disappear off the top and you can't expand the container to expose them. Different but just as annoying. Never noticed that before.

Trinione wrote:

> Comments above came as I was typing my message.
>
> Possible Solution : Pasting action prompts user to place as a group
> from top-left of  0,0 OR at set coordinates?
>

What I do if I realise a Move is going to bite me in this way is:
1)  Select the comonent or group of components
2)  Drag to a suitable location in the original container - while
still keeping the selection
3)  Cut
4)  Paste into new container

That usually works well enough - but it requires anticipation!  

squiffy wrote:

> If you cut & paste a component (eg a label) from one container (eg a
> form) into another container (eg a panel) then the component retains
> its left/top coordinates from its previous parent, often rendering it
> invisible if the new parent is smaller than the original.
>
> You can obviously fix it by setting left/top in the properties panel
> but it's a bit of a pain if you move a load of components from a form
> to a panel as you have to select each one in the properties panel (or
> set them en masse to 0,0 and pick them out one by one from the pile).

FWIW, EWB does exactly what Delphi does, and it isn't the world's
biggest problem. Me, I prefer it as is because it leaves the decision
in my hands as to what to do. You can paste, and since they are still
selected, you can still move the components using the cursor keys to
their new better home. Or you can resize the container. Or use the
property editor to move the left/top properties to make them visible.

Once you are aware of how it works, it is actually quite viable.

--

Matthew Jones

True. But, this is one of the strengths of EWB - developers suggesting the subtle improvements that make our lives a wee bit better, one step at a time.