Create a Word Processor Question

[chrissb]

I want to create a text editor that looks like this.


The toolbars for editing text on top, the work area, and a side pane.

In the side pane you click through each section (shown under the first folder) and write text for each section in the work area.

When I’m done writing in each section I want to compile it (which is the word the program in the pic uses) and have the sections compiled into a different order (shown under the building blocks folder).

I'm new to this, I just want to know if its possible.

[LaVolpe]

Sounds like a very ambitious starter project for someone without much experience.

To answer your question: almost anything is possible
The left pane could maybe be done with a treeview control
The right pane could maybe be done with a tab strip control where strips are vertical. Other possibilities
The top tabs could maybe be done with a tab strip also or a custom drawn control/picturebox
The bottom pane maybe could be done with a statusbar control

As far as splitting the text into "sections", that is a matter of defining what section is and being able to parse your source document to locate those sections.

Welcome to the forums

[DataMiser]

The short answer, yes it can be done.

It will require a good bit of coding and testing and likely will not look exactly like the sample but totally doable.

[TysonLPrice]

I'm new to this, I just want to know if its possible.

Unless you picked VB 6.0 for a specific reason...if you really are new to this switch to VB .Net. VB 6.0 is a relic in programming languages albeit still used quite a bit.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

I wouldn't inflict VB.NET on a starter either. VB6 may be a relic but from my experience it is still a better choice for the noob to actually get something going.

Is it better to create something that works but is technically obsolete or not to create anything at all because it is too complicated? My experience converting my VB6 utility to VB.NET tells me that starting out on a VB.NET project is not a task for the faint hearted.

[TysonLPrice]

I wouldn't inflict VB.NET on a starter either. VB6 may be a relic but from my experience it is still a better choice for the noob to actually get something going.

Is it better to create something that works but is technically obsolete or not to create anything at all because it is too complicated? My experience converting my VB6 utility to VB.NET tells me that starting out on a VB.NET project is not a task for the faint hearted.

I really have to disagree with that. If I felt any part of that was reasonable I'd still be coding COBOL. And I don't know what converting your VB6 utility to VB.NET has to do with anything. The OP said he/she was just staring out. I really recommend a person just starting out learn to program in a language that is still actively supported.

[DataMiser]

I agree. VB.Net would be a more logical choice for a newbie. Most of the issues converting from VB6 is that VB6 coders try to do it like they did in VB6 and run into issues. VB.Net is a bit different, but like any version of VB it is easy to learn and an extra bonus to learning VB.Net is that C# is not all that hard to pick up as many classes in the framework are the same for both VB and C#.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

And I don't know what converting your VB6 utility to VB.NET has to do with anything.

Well, I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with my words...

- as in "experience...tells me that starting out on a VB.NET project is not a task for the faint hearted."

My experience so far is - that VB.NET is a bit of a beast, unwieldy and overly complex in comparison to something like VB6 which was quite good for a starter, hiding a lot of the complexity and makeing it easy for RAD. If I were a complete noob working on a project like the one proposed then I wouldn't start here (here being VB6 nor VB.NET).

Something like Xojo, one of the other BASIC variants or similar, something more suited to the beginner.

I really recommend a person just starting out learn to program in a language that is still actively supported.

That was MY point. VB6 is not supported so I don't think it is a good choice but it is still better than trying a recommendation that might not lead anywhere for a noob. Hence my comparison.

[DaveDavis]

what is the name of the software at #1?