TRichView

RichView

What is it

TRichView is a native C++ VCL component for C++Builder 1 created by me from _scratch_ to have browser like abilities of visualing text. The reason behind spending lots of time doing this control a good one was that I got sich of TRichEdit standard control in Windows95, which was too slow and not flexible enough for my specific needs of coding an IRC like chat client.

It's free for freeware usage, but if you plan to make ANYTHING commercial or shareware you have to obtain my written permission. I do not think thsi would be a problem, in fact I am sure no one would ever need my component, but just in case.

Why not something else?

All I could see on the Net were bad either because:

too slow like TRichEdit
not providing browser like things as mouse clickable links, blinking text etc.
not portable to anything except it's own (pascal, DLL's would not go well)
were not linking into one EXE (activeX $hit) OR were not reasonable to use cause of footprint on EXE or OLE slowness
they were working for Delphi only, I always hated Pascal and prefer C++, tho, some of the Delphi done components I also use in C++Builder are of EXCELLENT quality (better then mine). Cheers!
no source to change it to something _I_ need, not the author of component.

Alas I have not found anything good for me when I needed it.

If you want to have something done good, then do it yourself :(

Features (which are in fact reasons why I coded it)

That's why I coded it to provide:

a FAST, flicker-free viewer of colored texts (mIRC colors conversions and HTML tags recognised)
allows links and blinks, (yes blinks, I did it, Microsoft was not up to mess with it in their Explorer, while in reality I made it work less then 3 hours, of course that required some sort of brain usage, perhaps they lack it *hInt-hInt*)
auto-scroll like in mIRC
ability to log and save to file in both TXT (with escape codes stripped out) or HTML
is more or less portable to enable future Java ports (can Pascal do it, hugh?)
allows full mouse selecting, and done _RIGHT_, not glitchy as mIRC and (sometimes) Netscape has.
provides an easy to code interface to implement custom parsers, which still would be rendered FAST.
automaticly starts browser you have on link click, with optional right click menu to copy link to clipboard.
no big overhead on adding new lines dynamicly, and almost none on deleteing. The not really slow re-render occurs only on resize on X coordinate (when width changes) for obvious reasons. Height change do not involve extra overhead except rendering on screen.
it's pretty portable since it's not relying on bunch of code, only requires few basic rendering routines like DrawFontAt, I belive I can port it to Java or other GUI for about few days time. I would when I will need it. Right now Win32 is my platform.For those familiar with Delphi/C++Builder VCL's object hierarchy, it was descended from TGraphicsControl, not from TWindowControl, to make it FAST, less overhead. Though, it made my code more complicated. But more effective.

HTML parser:

It can accept HTML and save to HTML also, can even put into clipboard selected text in HTML. Supported visual tags:

<HR> <A> <BLINK> <CENTER>
(of course all end/cancel tags), you can easily add your own tags in HTML renderer.

Whats sucks

Good question, I would be a lamer not to mention what sucks:

not easy to use to person who has no idea what is it (power is oppose to easy of use) MIGHT be fixed
poor coding style
little rendering problems (not displayied correncly) on buggy Win95 drivers :-)
not designed for YOUR needs, but hey, you got source right?
not perfect with mouse selection in sense of flickering and perfomance
something else I forgot at the moment

Source

It is about 50kb of C++ TRichView, and 25kb of coded by me also HTML parser, which can be used as stand-alone class for parsing.

Oh yes, I decided to give away source not someone to complain about my way of coding, and my style, it's BAD, I know.
Although reasonable suggestions would be fine. I think so.

Download

FREEWARE, but no way to use in any app you want money for without my explcit written permission.
Also, no derivatives of code can be distributed without my permission also. Sounds strict? maybe, but fair.
I spend my time and do not ask for money, why would you use my time to get money to yourself? You'd have to share some,
contact me, I am sure we will find way to deal.

Oh yes, I can't avoid bad words here :-)
About component writes, some of them, who make a one-week work of deriving some control from like, say, TLabel,
and ask for money for it's usage, this is lame. But, it's nothing comparing to those who make a simple control
and ask for money AND put an check to make it run only with-in IDE. Guys, this is frigging lame! ($_$) look at the mirror, do you have $$$ instead of eyes????

:) I am lame too, but do not at least ask for money from those who can't afford or/and do not write commercial apps (as I do)

Download

There are basicly two versions available.

Proven to compile and work, let's call it RichView v1.0
Major remake, should be much faster, but not finished, still worth a look RichView v2.0

Intall is easy, choose Install component in C++Builder and choose RichView.cpp in it, then re-build library.
If it says not-found RichView.obj when you try to build your app, check directories of lib files. C++Builder is buggy on that thing.

~ Final Wor[L]ds

Well, honetly I think that no one would need it, since it's C++, which is less popular then Delphi nowadays, hence I am not writing a long-long helps, documentations etc. Anyway, if someone needs it then it could save some months of work. If you see my words and really interested in some details to explain then mail me.

Alex Chudnovsky aka AtW, Russia,

20, March 1998