The Code Project - Active Comments 1.2

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Active Comments 1.2
By Andrei Levin

This addin allows your source code to have references to external files, MSDN articles, voice comments etc.

	VC6, Win95, Win98, NT4
	Posted 17 Oct 2000
	Updated 23 Nov 2000
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Introduction

Active Comment is an add-in to Microsoft Developer Studio. It has been tested under VC++ v.6 with Service Pack 3 (and with Service Pack 4).

This addin provides active comments using your source code. You can reference your code with external files, e-mail addresses, set links to internet sites, MSDN articles, or you can insert voice commentary to your source, etc.

If you found any errors or bugs I would be very greatful to recieve a feedback from you. Your suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Disclaimer: This software is provided as-is and with no implied warranty of any kind. Please don't place any blame on me if it does something untoward to your system.

Installation

Copy ActiveComments.dll to the add-ins folder of Developer Studio: C:\Program Files\DevStudio\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\MSDev98\AddIns
In Developer Studio, go to the "Tools" menu and select "Customize...".
Go to the "Add-ins and Macro Files" tab (the last one). Select the checkbox "Active Comments", and click "Close".
Developer Studio adds a new toolbar with the Active Comments buttons:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Button	Caption	Description
1	Comment Setup	use for create new or modify exists active comment
2	View Commentary	will executed linked to selected commentary reference
3	List of all Active Comments	will displayed list of all active comments in the current project
4	Active comment clear	delete selected active comment, but leave title in a text
5	Delete Active Comment	full delete selected active comment (and title from a text also will be deleted)
6	Change case to upper	change case of selected text to upper
7	Change case to lower	change case of selected text to lower
8	Capitalize this string	capitalize selected text
9	Convert space to tab	convert space at the begin and end of selected text to tab
10	Code Templates	insert code template, which selected from the list
11	Options	Active Comment AddIn Options: clear history list, manage code templates list

To deactivate Active Comments, perform steps 2-3, but remove the selection from the Active Comments checkbox.

To completely uninstall Active Comments:

Exit Developer Studio.
Delete Active Comments.dll from your Developer Studio add-ins folder.

How to work with it:

Move the cursor to the row where you want to insert an active comment or select the text which you want to make an active comment.
Click the button "Comment Setup" and in the following dialog enter the comment title (it will be displayed in the source). Point a reference to file (or MSDN article, web page, e-mail, etc.). If you want to make a voice comment, click on the button
"Show Record Controls", make a record and save it (name of wave file will be generated automatically). Click OK.
Active comment will be displayed. For example: // [[->Link to the MSDN]]

If you want to manage all of active comments in the project, choose the command "View All Comments". And in the following dialog you can edit, delete and execute active comments.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Nikolay Egipco.

History

What's new in version 1.2:

Was added handler to event LeftButtonDblClick on the Active Comment (in the DevStudio's SourceEditor): after DblClick will be execute linked file or play voice comment or run MSDN;
The method of definition of the active comment is advanced: now you can have several acomments in the one string;
The function of adding code templates also is advanced: now AddTemplateDialog appears near at the place, where carret is found (KeyShortcut: Ctrl+Alt+J);
Was corrected function of inserting code template: now everywhere in the code templates where there will be found a character "%s" will be inserted a selected text.
Was corrected function of executing comment links to MSDN

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