App Browser versus Project Browser

[Paul Hibbert]

I am one of the people that generally prefers the Application Browser to the Project Browser, but to be fair I don’t think I gave the PB enough attention to see any of it’s merits.

Now that I’ve used the PB a little more in LC8 I have been able to get a slightly better feel for it, so I thought it may be useful to list what I like and don’t like, this what I came up with:

What I do like about the Application Browser:
1. Column views, having a separate window to list all controls on the selected card makes it easy to locate the control you want to work with especially if it isn’t currently visible on the card that’s open.
2. Being able to sort the list by different columns. Really useful for long lists of controls, great for grouping control info.
3. Control IDs and Layer numbers are immediately visible.
3. The Refresh button.

What I don’t like about the Application Browser:
1. The column sizes don’t save between sessions, so I find I’m always resizing them!
2. No filters, but column sort helps.

What I do like about the Project Browser:
1. Takes up less screen space than the Application Browser.
2. Having options that do stick between session.
3. Some useful options available under the contextual menu, (like Send Message).

What I don’t like about the Project Browser:
1. No easy way to change the sort order (I know it’s in the LC Prefs, but that’s too slow to get to).
2. No filter in LC8 - it is there in LC7.
3. No control IDs or layer numbers visible.
4. No easy way to refresh.

What I would like to see in the Project Browser:
1. Reinstate the filter, preferably with more options like show/hide by control type.
2. To be able to temporarily hide stacks/cards/controls from the PB, (to enable a more focused view), not just collapsing them in the tree view. e.g. Hiding controls that are hidden on a card, removing library stacks etc. from the PB view.
3. A Refresh button/option to avoid closing and re-opening the PB.
4. Control IDs and Layer numbers should be visible, maybe with a preference setting for people that don’t want to see them.
5. The ability to rename controls would be useful.
6. The option to switch between column view and tree view, this would save having two different viewers and keep more people happy!

Interestingly every time I open LC8 (dp7) the Application Browser opens, maybe it’s because I closed LC7 with the AB still open(?), but as soon as I close it I can’t get it back.

I have tried a 3rd party browser, but this discussion is about the native LC options.

Just a few of my thoughts.

Paul