The Menu Bar

The File menu (Alt + F) is used to load, save, and print GFA-BASIC programs.

• New - deletes the program from memory. A confirmation is required first if there are unsaved edits.
• Open... - Displays a file selector, listing the files in the current directory. Any files with the extension .g32 (= GFA-BASIC32 project file) can be loaded into the editor by moving the mouse pointer to the relevant entry and pressing the left mouse button quickly twice in succession. Any programs which are happen to be already in memory.
• Save - Saves the program currently in memory in plain text format (extension .g32) in the current directory. If the file has been given a name the existing file is simply overwritten.
  The data in the Files sidebar tab is saved in a packed and mime-encoded format. The same is true for the form data.
• Save as - Works like Save, the difference being that Save as... invokes a file selector which lists all files in the current directory. You now have the option of saving the program under a different name and/or in a different directory.
• Save to History... - This allows the saving of a file history to a ZIP file; see Save to History.
• Insert File... - Allows the insertion or merger of another .g32 or .lst file into the current program listing. A File Selector is shown and the desird file can be selected from it.
• Print ... - This allows the printing of the current program listing. When selected, a Printer Selector is shown allowing you to select the printer and change the settings before printing. Other options can set using the Printer Properties dialog box.
• Export - This opens a submenu allowing you to save or copy to clipboard the current program in either RTF or pre-formatted HTML, or to send the listing by email (this last option only works if you have a dedicated email program installed - see Gfa_SendMail for more information).
• [MRU List] - This is a list of up to nine of the Most Recently Used files loaded into the IDE. Hovering over each entry will show its file path in the Status Bar, whilst pressing the number key equivalent to the number of the file in the list will automatically load it into the IDE.
• Exit - Returns to the calling program (normally this means to Windows). A confirmation is required first.

The Edit menu is used to find and/or replace strings within the program. It is invoked with the shortcut ALT + E

• Undo - Activating Undo with the Alt + Backspace or Ctrl + Z shortcuts revokes all previous changes made to a program line providing that the cursor remained on the same line after the changes were made.
• Cut - Cut selection to clipboard (Ctrl + X).
• Copy - Copy selection to clipboard (Ctrl + C).
• Paste - Paste clipboard contents (Ctrl + V)
• Select Word - Selects the current word (Ctrl + W)
• Comment Lines - Comments the selected lines using the degree character. (Ctrl + I)
• Uncomment Lines - Uncomments the lines commented using the degree character. (Ctrl + J)
• Goto Line - Show
• Goto Line... - Displays a Goto dialog box. You can either fill in an absolute line number or a relative value using -/+. (Ctrl + G)
• Navigate backwards - Jumps back to the last line edited (Ctrl + -)
• Navigate forwards - Jumps forward to the next line edited (follwoing the use of Navigate Backwards) (Ctrl + Shift + -)
• Next ErrorLine - Jumps to the next line containing a syntax error (F4).
• Prev Errorline - Jumps to the previous line containing a syntax error (Shift + F4).
• Find & Replace Show
• Find - Creates a Dialog box . You can enter the string to look for in the edit field after the Search For entry. Invoking the Find button performs a search for the given string from the current cursor position until the end of the program (Ctrl + F).
• Find Next - Performs a search for the next occurrence of the string specified with Find... starting from the current cursor position (F3).
• Find Previous - Performs a search for the previous occurence of the string specified with Find, starting from the current cursor position (Shift + F3)
• Replace - Replace text (Ctrl + R).
• Replace Next - Performs a search for the next occurrence of the string specified with Find... starting from the current cursor position and replaces it (Ctrl + F3).
• Replace Previous - Performs a search/replace for the previous occurrence of the string specified with Find... starting from the current cursor position and replaces it (Ctrl + Shift + F3).
• Incremental Search - Performs a search which matches the text as you are typing (Ctrl + Shift + I).
• Proc Show
• Set to Top - Moves the cursor to the first line of the procedure (Ctrl + F11)
• Fold Others - Folds all except the active procedure (Ctrl + F12)
• Fold All - Collapse all procedures (Shift + F12)
• Go To Previous - Navigates to the first line of the previous procedure in the program. (Ctrl + PageUp)
• Go To Next - Moves the cursor to the top of the next procedure in th program listing.(Ctrl + PageDown)
• Select Proc - Selects and highlights the procedure containing the cursor. (Shift + F11)
• Print Proc ... - Sends the code of the active procedure to the printer. (Alt + F11)
• Insert New - Opens a pop up box allowing the creation of a new Procedure, Function, [Event] Sub or FunctionVar. (Shift + Ctrl + N)
• Disassembly - Disassembles the compiled procedure and sends it to the Output Window. (Alt + F12)
• Bookmarks Show
  • Toggle Bookmark - Adds bookmark to the active line if there is none, or removes one if there is. (Ctrl + B)
  • Next Bookmark - Navigates to the next Bookmark. (Ctrl + Down)
  • Previous Bookmark - Moves the cursor to the previous Bookmark. (Ctrl + Up)
  • Clear Bookmarks - Clears all bookmarks.
  • Set Mark - Allows the setting of Marks numbered 0 to 7. (Ctrl + K)
  • Goto Mark - Moves the cursor to the specified Mark. (Ctrl + Q)
    See here for more information on Bookmarks and Marks.
• Format Lines - Format lines are dotted lines which are drawn delineating the extent of If...Endif, For...Next, Select...EndSelect and other similar constructs which hold nested instructions. The elements of such a construct can be inspected by hovering the mouse over the format line (the cursor changes to an up/down arrow) and a specific format line can be highlighted by clicking on it, at which point the line turns from dotted black to a solid green and the extent of the construct is indicated by red dots in the margin. (F4)
• Insert Special - Allows the insertion of the following special information strings: Date, Time, Date+Time, ProcName, Gfa_FileName, Gfa_FileTime, Gfa_ExeName, Gfa_ExeTime, FileVersion and ProductVersion. (App + I)
• Record Keys - Starts recording keyboard keys and changes to 'Stop Recording' to stop recording (Alt + Ctrl + R). See also Statusbar.
• Play Recorded keys - Plays back recorded keys.
• Complete Word - Forces the Auto-Complete box to appear. Use this if Auto-Complete is off but you wish to use it temporarily; it is also useful on the few occasions that the Auto-Complete box does not appear such as if you start editing in the middle of a word. (Ctrl + Space).

• Run - Runs the program (F5). First compiles the program (in memory) to collect all variables and check program integrity.
• Syntax Check - Compiles the program (in memory) to collect all variables and check program integrity (Shift + F5)
• Cleanup - Cleans up open windows, frees handles, and closes files.
  Let's assume your program ends without first closing all of the windows opened by it. If this was a non critical program termination (i.e. not a crash) - for example a break invoked by pressing Control + Break - the GFA-BASIC editor window is shown again as the active window. However, all windows which were not closed by your program are still on the Desktop either inactive or left behind as icons. Cleanup closes all these 'dead' windows and reports them to Windows in an orderly fashion.
• Compile/Build - Generates a stand-alone EXE file, a GLL extension file, or LG32 library. See Create Exe.
• Launch EXE... - Checks for out-of-date files, saves and compiles the file and, if there are no errors, the compiled file is launched.
• New Form - Creates a new Form in the Form Editor (Shift + F7)
• New OCX Object - Creates a new OCX object in the Form Editor (Ctrl + F7)
• Add COM Reference - [Not Implemented Yet].

• Properties - Set Editor, Printer, Compiler and Other options. More...
• Extension Manager - Displays the extension manager dialog box that allows loading and removing GFA-BASIC 32 editor extensions.
  See also: GFA-BASIC 32 Editor Extensions.
• Insert Packed Data ... - Inserts a string declaration with mime-encoded, packed, stringdata. This allows you to store binary information inside the code. It works essentially the same as saving binary resources in the Files: sidebar section.
  This insertion comes in handy when you want to store static data into a GLL or LG32 file. These file formats do not allow data storage in either :Files or DATA commands.
• Memory Dump - Displays a Prompt to provide a memory address from which to display a HexDump in the Output Window - the address can be followed by a comma and a value for the number of bytes to show (default = 256 bytes). Also of interest is HexDump in the gfawinx library which returns the memory block as a string. (Ctrl + Shift + H)

• Output window - Toggles the debug output window (Alt + 3)
• Code editor - Switches to the code editor when the form editor is active (Alt + 0)
• Form editor - Switches to the form editor when the code editor is active (Alt + 1)
• Properties window - Forces the creation of the OCX properties tab in the sidebar. (Alt + 2).
• Split windows - Toggles between a visible and hidden sidebar (Alt + 4).
• Ocx Overview - Shows all forms and their OCXs in a tree view in a separate window (Alt + 5).
• Minimize Forms - Minimizes all forms in the form editor.
• Cascade Forms - Cascades all forms in the form editor.
• AutoMinimize Inactive Forms - Automatically minimizes non-active forms in the form editor.

• Use English CHM Help - If selected, the newer English-language HTML help file is used by default; if not, the old German .hlp format file is used instead (this is the default is German is the default UI language). See here for details of how to get the old .hlp file to work on Windows Vista onwards.
• Help Contents - Opens the help file on the Contents Table page (Shift + F1)
• Help Topic... - Opens the help file on the Topic Search page (F1)
• About GFA-BASIC 32... - Displays an information box containing the GFA-BASIC copyright message, its version number, and free system memory.