There's a new build out today: 9.0.182.5. This one introduces two significant and much requested enhancements for people who work with scripts and queries.

The first big enhancement is integrated support for Visual Studio Code ("VS Code" or just "Code") as an optional default editor for scripts, queries and comments. VS Code is a free download. It's a non-trivial integration with dynamic back and forth between Code and Manifold. So, for example, you can edit in Code and in Manifold run the updated script or query without closing Code. I personally prefer to work with Code and Manifold using two monitors but you can easily do it with one monitor.

The second big enhancement is a huge extension for VS Code for Manifold SQL, which goes far beyond syntax highlighting to include auto-completion and templates for about 950 Manifold SQL functions. Manifold includes that extension and will automatically install it so there's no need to download anything or mess with an installation.

VS Code as well as the Manifold SQL extension for Code also is part of Viewer. Viewer doesn't do scripting but you can use Code and the extension with queries. In both 9 and Viewer you can choose if Code is the default for comments or not, so you can use Code with scripts and queries and continue using the built in editor for comments if that's what you prefer.

There are also a couple of other new features such as coincident editing and an eyedropper tool built into the new Colors dialog, and a few new Table style presets for Boolean and Datetime (finally... more international styles...) fields.

See details and a few screenshots on the What's New page. The user manual will be updated later today and then over the next few days with some new topics.

Quite likely late this week or early next there will be another very useful item to help write SQL queries. Stay tuned!

the intellisense and highlighting is really helpful. The bouncing back-and-forth takes a short time to get used to, but it's not bad. I already have to do that with Arcpy, as I use IDLE outside of ArcGIS to write the Python scripts. This is nicer as it's a good IDE and, it actually resides inside of the Manifold .map.

One downside at the moment is that I've gotten quite comfortable with the Query Builder, so dragging and dropping table names and fields is less convenient. I have a feeling I'm going to use both (needing to close VSCode) until I get more comfortable.

So, so far, so good.

The bouncing back-and-forth takes a short time to get used to

I like working with larger windows so I find it easiest to work with Code and Manifold simultaneously using two monitors. That gives me the Templates and Tables panes at the same time as Code. It ends up being pretty much the same number of mouse moves, just in different order.

After all, even in the query builder running with native editing you still have to highlight what it is you want changed or position the cursor where you want the insertion. Then you double-click the item in the Templates or Tables pane (or right click and choose from the context menu). It's the same number of mouse moves when you work with VS Code, just reversed. You first do the double-click and then you highlight what you want changed and press Ctrl-V. Instead of going back and forth between the query builder editing pane and the Templates or Tables pane you go back and forth between the VS code editing pane and the Templates or Tables pane.

You also pick up additional gains over the native query builder editing cycle because of Code's more extensive assistance such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and other goodies.

1. Manifold keeps installing the vsix repeatedly.

2. For some reason it takes many seconds for VS Code to open my query (on old machine). Better, but not instant on newer machine.

3. Because of 2. I'd like 'Open in VS Code' be a second option, not default on double-click. Currently 'Open in VS Code' is either the Default of Off.

1. Manifold keeps installing the vsix repeatedly.

It shouldn't do that. It should install the vsix only once.

2. For some reason it takes many seconds for VS Code to open my query (on old machine). Better, but not instant on newer machine.

That's maybe why it's taking longer, it it's re-installing the vsix. On my machine it's nearly instant. What it's doing is creating a temp file that's the file being edited by Code, which is synced on saves with the component within Manifold. That should be very fast.

The first task is understanding why 1. and 2. happen and fixing those. Please send a report to tech support so they can communicate with you about the details of the system, your VS Code installation, etc.

3. Because of 2. I'd like 'Open in VS Code' be a secondoption, not default on double-click.

The second task is arranging the feature so double-click is not an auto-launch of Code. The way I'd suggest doing that is if "Use VS Code" is checked in Tools - Options the Open in VS Code command is always available in the context menu even if checkbox in Tools - Options for Scripts, Queries or Comments is off. So the overall option "Use VS Code" tells the system to put "Open in VS Code" onto the context menu, and the sub-checkboxes choose if a double-click on that type of component opens it in VS Code by default. If you wanted to have the option of using VS Code but didn't want it ever launching on a double-click, you could simply uncheck all of the Scripts, Queries, and Comments checkboxes.

I asked one of the programmers on the Code integration and he thinks my guess is probably right, that your 1. and 2. are the same issue. It's discussed in the pending user manual topic for VS Code that hasn't yet been published. From that topic:

The system searches `%USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\` looking for `manifold.manifold-sql-*`. However, the CLI installs wherever VS Code actually looks, which is the same place for a stock installation but a different place for Insiders (`.vscode-insiders`), for a portable layout, or for a configured `--extensions-dir`.

It might be something else, but I think the above is worth looking into before chasing more exotic possibilities. If that's the issue (and if not, I don't like it that custom/portable/insiders installs have an issue) I think Manifold should expand the logic so users don't have to worry about.

You can help nail this with some data:

What's your VS Code version, and is it stable or Insiders? Also whether both are installed.

How VS Code was installed? user setup, system setup, portable, or a package manager?

Is --extensions-dir configured, or has code.cmd been wrapped or aliased?

What is the output of Code --list-extensions --show-versions filtered for manifold.?

What is the directory listing of %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\ filtered for manifold?

When you do two consecutive query launches in Manifold, what are the log lines around those? Does an "installed the Manifold SQL extension" line appear on both? If so, that's a direct confirmation of the loop. If not, then it's likely something else.

You published an extension for Manifold SQL. Is that installed alongside?

If you like you can send answers here or send them together with a report to tech support. I just wanted to push the info from the pending topic to here in the forum in case anybody has a non-stock VS Code installation.

I have VS Code installed with scoop

where.exe code

C:\Users\riivo.kolka\scoop\apps\vscode\current\bin\code

C:\Users\riivo.kolka\scoop\apps\vscode\current\bin\code.cmd

current\is

<JUNCTION>     current [\??\C:\Users\riivo.kolka\scoop\apps\vscode\1.134.0]

and current\data\ is

<JUNCTION>     data [\??\C:\Users\riivo.kolka\scoop\persist\vscode\data]

Code --list-extensions --show-versions

manifold.manifold-sql@9.182.5

Stable Code version

1.134.0

110a328ea54b42367b803ec53ee0bf52ef26b419

x64

OK, they have a solution that will work for you and for other situations where paths might not be the same as default stock installations, Insiders, VSCodium, etc. That's being tested now. They've also already built and tested the more flexible meaning of the Tools - Options checkboxes.

If you don't mind, tech will send you an email offering a test build they'd like you to try on your existing installation of VS Code to make sure it works for your particular situation. I'll ask them to keep it around so that if there's anybody else in the same boat they can send it to them without them having to wait for 182.6, which is scheduled for 12 September.

Yes, now queries open in sub-second time on my old computer, after the

extension is once installed and VS Code already open.

Thanks!

Here is the updated Dutch translation.

Attachments:
ui.nl.txt

Map Publishing Platform - Next Generation

Hi

Boyle surface fr ,en