Thanks for your continued interest. At this time, there is nothing further that I can say about those requests, other than we are considering them.

we have a toolbox consisting of mex files, there are also .m files, but they just have comments (for help…) ctrl-f1 and related commands don’t appear to be able to pick up the parameter lists either from the mex file itself or from the .m if I add a dummy function declaration at the start if the .m file (which is further down the path than the mex)

Actually, TMW is pretty open to user feedback – if you would be willing to email them (isupport at mathworks.com) with specific problems in the FRP, “document quality plots” or any other issue, you would probably find a receptive ear. I know I did.

Then again, you must understand that TMW priorities may be different from yours, which is entirely legitimate.

Yair

I guess I have a different workflow. I can’t rely on hints for writing my code, I need to know for certain what the proper syntax is. The hint isn’t a legitimate substitute for the FRP. Frankly, I’m concerned that using hints will promote the “Hack & Hope” style of code writing.

But, I agree that the MatLab hints aren’t as annoying as Clippy. I was just reporting the observation of this particular co-worker. Who by the way, is more senior to me both in experience & responsibility.

What I don’t understand is why The MathWorks would spend time developing a feature like hints when there are so many much more pressing needs in the world of MatLab. Like: Ensuring that all the FRPs are of a consistent high standard. Or, making it easier to make document quality plots.

The Function Hints should appear below the line you are currently typing. There’s an importantance to spatial association. If we put the hints far away from where the user is typing then the user might not see it or associate it with the “(” action. We balance that against if it might cover up code or how distracting it might be. It’s impossible to get the balance right for every user. That is why you can disable them in either the Editor or the Command Window.

I have to disagree with your comparison to Clippy (of which I am also not a fan). Clippy was cutesy and animated. The function hints are all business. Secondly, the clippy would come up with help that was at best general, and at worst had nothing to do with your workflow. We are showing here information about the specific function you are using. A more apt comparison would be if we brought up FDATool whenever you typed “butter.”

The opinions of you and your coworker are noted and we do take them seriously. Potentially for annoyance is one of the many factors we deal with when designing new UI features. If you’re interested in participating in a usability study I can have one of our experts contact you.

rejectedvars = cell(1, length(rejectedindx));

I’m looking at the nearby code to remember the variable name of rejectedindx, and your box pops up to distract me.

Maybe you guys can figure out how users can specify a standard location for the suggestion box that is away from the action.