Just before the end of the year, we released a new major version of Extensibility Studio, with the main focus on extending it to support TypeScript/JavaScript for code editing, script execution, and debugging.
TypeScript/JavaScript code editing and execution
The big difference between TypeScript/JavaScript as a scripting language compared to C#/Visual Basic is that, well, this is indeed a scripting language, which is executed by Microsoft ClearScript using Google V8 Engine, and debugged using Google Chrome Debugger development tools.
These scripts can access application-defined objects, but the main difference is that it does not have the limitation of the script being debugged to be in a separate process from the script debugger, which allows seamlessly integrating debugging logic into your application.
Code Editor now includes a full-featured TypeScript parser, with code-completion support for types defined in .NET assemblies, provided that TypeScript interface files are generated using the TypeScriptTypeDefinitionsBuilder tool and are made available to the Parser.
We are still working on a TypeScript loader for Form Designer, which, once available, will make Extensibility Studio for TypeScript/JavaScript on power with the one for C#/Visual Basic.
Therefore we have decided to mark this feature as a beta for now until a subsequent update, which will include the ability to serialize user interfaces designed for TypeScript/JavaScript.
Apart from this feature, we’ve included multiple improvements across all our products in this release; below are the major improvements:
Code Editor improvements
We have added DataTips, which allows hovering the mouse over a symbol in Code Editor while in debug mode and evaluating it, expanding nested properties if needed.
Colors in Code Editor code completion windows separate descriptions from types and reserved words, making it easier to read.
Form Designer improvements
We have added Localization support to WinForms Form Designer, allowing localized content for different languages, controlled by Localizable and Language properties.
Other improvements include a new OutlineView for WPF Form Designer, controlling visibility for multiple controls, and Property Grid Filtering in WinForms Form Designer for easier navigation through the property list.
Scripter and Script Debugger Improvements
We have added support for class-less scripts (where the script can be just a list of statements without class or method declarations). We also optimized expression evaluation in Script Debugger, making it much quicker to evaluate Watches, Locals, and expressions in the Expression Evaluation dialog and Data-Tips.
We decided to merge Demo Libraries assemblies with the Core Libraries and distribute their sources code alongside our Source codes. From version 4.0, these assemblies will get the same treatment as Core Libraries, such as getting versioned assembly names and being updated when using the Project Converter tool that facilities migration of the project to the newer version.
For more specific feedback or inquiries, you can reach out to the AlterNET Software team directly at contact@alternetsoft.com