ECB 2.27 released!!

[Klaus Berndl]

                              ECB 2.27 is released!




What's new in the new release:
------------------------------

* Changes for ECB version 2.27

** The option `ecb-auto-expand-tag-tree-collapse-other' now has three possible
   choices. You can decide between auto-collapsing only when point stays onto
   a tag in the edit-window or even when point doesn't stay onto a tag (which
   then results in a full collapsed methods-buffer). ECB autom. upgrades the
   old setting of this option to the new type. Thanks to Javier Oviedo
   <address@hidden> for the suggestion.

** Not accessible directories are displayed in a different face in the
   directory-browser. See the new option `ecb-directory-not-accessible-face'
   and the new face with same name.
   
** Enhancements to the permanent compile-window
   
*** Enlarging the compile-window does not destroy some ecb-windows
    With previous versions of ECB enlarging the permanent compile-window has
    often destroyed some ecb-windows if the compile-window has occupied a
    large portion of the frame-height (e.g. half of the frame). Beginning with
    ECB 2.27 such a ecb-window-damage is either prevented or - if it still
    occurs (can not be prevented in all situations) - ECB now has a
    "self-healing"-mechanism which immediatelly repairs the layout via
    idle-checks if the current window-layout is correct for the current
    `ecb-layout-name'. Conclusion: Enlarging or shrinking the compile-window
    should never damage the ecb-windows! Thanks to Javier Oviedo
    <address@hidden> for a great problem-report!

    Caution: If bytecompiled user-defined layouts are used (ie. the file,
    which contains the user-defined layouts is byte-compiled) then you MUST
    recompile this file with ECB 2.27 active!

*** Now `ecb-store-window-sizes' and `ecb-restore-window-sizes' also work when
    called during a permanent compile-window is visible and also when these
    commands are called with another compile-window state than the other (e.g.
    when the window-sizes are stored without a compile-window and restored
    with a compile-window).

*** Now ECB ensures that the permanent compile-window has always its specified
    size when shrinked either by Emacs/ECB or by the command
    `ecb-toggle-compile-window-height'.

*** Now ECB ensures that all ecb-windows have always either their default or
    stored size size after the compile-window has been shrinked either by
    Emacs/ECB or by the command `ecb-toggle-compile-window-height'.

*** ECB takes into account the new Emacs-option `grep-window-height' when it
    compute the max. allowed size of its permanent compile-window. More
    generally spoken: It takes into account all options with name
    *-window-height defined for modes which are defined by the macro
    `define-compilation-mode'. This mechanism is available in the forthcoming
    Emacs 21.4 (and of course with current CVS-Emacs 21).
    
** Fixed Bugs

*** Added a workaround for a bug in the custom-library of current release 21.3
    of GNU Emacs which causes under certain circumstances the autom.
    option-upgrading-feature of ECB to fail. Same for the command
    `ecb-store-window-sizes'. Thanks for reporting this annoying bug and great
    help to Christoph Ludwig <address@hidden>



How to get it:
--------------

Sorry, it's too big to post the sources here...

If you are using ECB >= 1.80 then you can just call "M-x ecb-download-ecb" if
you are online. ECB will then download autom. latest and newest ECB and
install it for you.

Or go to the homepage at http://ecb.sourceforge.net and download it from
there.



General description of ECB:
---------------------------

ECB stands for "Emacs Code Browser".  While Emacs already has good
*editing* support for many modes, its *browsing* support is somewhat
lacking. That's where ECB comes in: it displays a number of informational
windows that allow for easy source code navigation and overview.

The informational windows can contain:

  - A directory tree,
  - a list of source files in the current directory,
  - a list of functions/classes/methods/... in the current file, (ECB uses the
    Semantic Bovinator, or Imenu, or etags, for getting this list so all
    languages supported by any of these tools are automatically supported by
    ECB too)
  - a history of recently visited files, 
  - the Speedbar and
  - output from compilation (the "*compilation*" window) and other modes like
    help, grep etc. or whatever a user defines to be displayed in this window.

As an added bonus, ECB makes sure to keep these informational windows visible,
even when you use C-x 1 and similar commands.

It goes without saying that you can configure the layout, ie which
informational windows should be displayed where. ECB comes with a number of
ready-made window layouts to choose from.

Here is an ascii-screenshot of what ECB offers you:

------------------------------------------------------------------
|              |                                                 |
| Directories  |                                                 |
|              |                                                 |
|--------------|                                                 |
|              |                                                 |
| Sources      |                                                 |
|              |                                                 |
|--------------|                   Edit-area                     |
|              |    (can be splitted in several edit-windows)    |
| Methods/Vars |                                                 |
|              |                                                 |
|--------------|                                                 |
|              |                                                 |
| History      |                                                 |
|              |                                                 |
------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                                |
|                 Compilation-window (optional)                  |
|                                                                |
------------------------------------------------------------------

For more details go to http://ecb.sourceforge.net/


Enjoy,
Klaus


-- 
Klaus Berndl                    mailto: address@hidden
sd&m AG                         http://www.sdm.de
software design & management    
Carl-Wery-Str. 42, 81739 Muenchen, Germany
Tel +49 89 63812-392, Fax -220