Console tool

The Console tool lets you run external commands from within EiffelStudio. The Console tool is shown in the following figure:

You can type your command in the "Command" region and then press the Run button to launch that command. When a command is running, you can type input data to that command in the "Input" region if necessary. And you can press the Stop button to terminate a running command. If the command uses a different locale from your default locale, you can specify the desired locale in the "Locale" region where all supported locales are listed. The selected locale will be used for both the input and output of the command. After the command has exited, its return value will be displayed at the bottom line.

Placeholders

In the "Command" region, the following placeholders can be used:

• $class_name: this will be replaced by the name in lower case of the targeted class in editor
• $directory_name: this will be replaced by the directory location of the targeted class in editor
• $file: this will be replaced by file name part, i.e., without heading directory path ($directory_name) of the targeted class in editor
• $file_name: this will be replaced by the fully specified file name ($directory_name + $file) to the targeted class in editor
• $f_code: this will be replaced by the F_code directory of current target, if defined
• $group_directory: this will be replaced by the directory of the group where targeted class in editor locates
• $group_name: this will be replaced by the group name of the targeted class in editor
• $line: this will be replaced by the line number of the cursor of the targeted class in editor
• $path: same as $file_name
• $project_directory: this will be replaced by the directory of current project, if defined
• $target_directory: this will be replaced by the directory of current target, if defined
• $target_name: this will be replaced by current target name
• $w_code: this will be replaced by the W_code directory of current target, if defined

Buffer support

Buffer is a way to refer to text of a class, a feature or text/selected text in an editor tab in external command. Three kinds of buffers are supported:

• {SOME_CLASS} represents text of SOME_CLASS
• @{SOME_CLASS} represents selected text in the opened editor tab for class SOME_CLASS
• {SOME_CLASS}.some_feature represents text of some_feature from SOME_CLASS

For example, if you run the command: gvim {ANY}then the text of class ANY will be displayed in a gvim window.

If you run the command: gvim @{ANY}and if class ANY is opened in an editor tab and some text is selected there, the selected text will be displayed in a gvim window.

If you run the command: gvim @{ANY}.is_equalthen the text of feature is_equal from class ANY will be displayed in a gvim window.

If you run the command: gvim -d {ANY}.is_equal {APPLICATION}.is_equalthen a gvim window in diff mode will be opened showing the difference between ANY.is_equal and APPLICATION.is_equal.

The text used in buffer is stored in a temporary file so whatever change done to that text won't affect the text used in EiffelStudio.

Auto-completion

The command area supports auto-completion. You can auto-complete placeholder, class name and feature name, shown in the following pictures:

Auto-complete placeholder:

Auto-complete class name:

Auto-complete feature name:

Pick and drop

You can also pick and drop a group/class/feature into the command area to have related name/path inserted.

See Also:
External commands Editor dialog