The Script Manager is a great tool for customising how we analyse our markets, but it could do with some improved functionality to make it easier to use for those of us heavily into scripting, like me with over 200 Script Groups, each of which contain an average of 15+ scripts, ie over 3,000 scripts in Script Manager.
Additional functions I'd like to see are:
Group Expand/Collapse Buttons.
Sub-Groups within Groups.
Ability to Clone Groups of Scripts.
Ability to Export Scripts and Groups of Scripts as files suitable for importing directly into Script Manager.
Ability to Import Scripts as the compliment of the above Script Export function.
Ability to directly Import Scripts from TEXT files as an alternative to cut & paste as at present.
A Script Import filter applied to imported scripts that strips any invisible coding from "text" files or copy/pasted scripts from PDFs and other sources so that only clean text scripts are inserted into Script Manager.
Thanks in anticipation of your consideration of these suggestions.
Like Trevor, I spend my life inside of Optuma's Script Manager (and love it!), to date having built, tested and debugged several thousand lines of codes across scores of scripts for doing all sorts of stuff.
I second all of the suggestions Trevor has made (thanks for posting Trevor), especially the import/export functionality.
I'd also like to suggest the following in order of importance / convenience:
1. For the Script Manager Window:
ability to specify size and position of script window (or at least have the script window 'remember' where it was last positioned when it is re-opened)
ability to personalise font size and colour in the script window (makes life easier for us older fellas whose eyes are ageing!)
2. For custom labels on the cross-hair cursor that use scripts:
if the Script Manager window is already open it is re-sized and re-positioned to the centre of the screen when a script is selected - it would be better if it left the Script Manager window in its current size and position
also if a script is changed, it needs to be removed from the cross-hair cursor script list then re-added for the change to take effect - it would be better if the changes were effective without having to do this
3. Script debugging
ability to 'watch' the values of variables within scripts as you move the crosshair over bars (this can be achieved already by adding a script as a custom label to the cross-hair cursor but does take a few steps to setup, and has to be re-setup every time the script changes)
I admit that the third suggestion might require quite an undertaking - but it would move the scripting environment in Optuma to what coders are used to in integrated development environments like Java, C++, etc, and that would be a major improvement for productivity. However, I'm hoping that the first two suggestions are not too onerous and they too would give rise to nice productivity improvements.
They are great additional suggestions Dean - I fully support that request. As regards the Scripting Manager Window - I also like to be able to move it to my second monitor and keep it open whenever I go back to look at/do something else on my chart, just as I can with the Pascal Custom Tool Editor. Thence to be able to modify my developing script and reapply it without the Script Manager having to close and be re-opened.
Cheers
Trevor
PS: Gees I hate the way all the formatted text ends up as a single string if I Edit my post. Having to reformat it again is a pain in the B....
It’s great to see some of the above Script Manager functionality suggestions have been implemented.
Unfortunately the two at the top of my list, ie Group Expand/Collapse Buttons and Sub-Groups within Groups have not yet made it to the top of your Script Manager improvement list. Any chance of them being elevated for a forecoming update?
There’s a windows shortcut for Expand / Compress all folders in Windows by default. It does work in Optuma, but only the first time. We need to make some adjustments to get the shortcut working correctly (logged for 2.1).
Sub-folders are harder to implement, making sure existing script files are compatible with a new format. I will need to discuss it further with the dev team.
I tried the Windows Expand/Contract Short cuts, ALT+Shift+Right Arrow and ALT+Shift+left Arrow I believe, but they didn’t work for me, even on a newly opened session of Optuma☹
A further suggestion in this regard is for the Script Manager to remember the Expand/Collapse state between shutdown and startup of Optuma. The Expand/Collapse state is remembered within a session, but not once shutdown☹