At times, we encounter minor yet impactful changes stemming from seemingly uncomplicated issues. In specific instances, addressing these modest complexities may necessitate minimal adjustments, yet yield substantial outcomes.
Optimizing the Navigator
In Xojo 2023r4 we tackled a performance issue impacting the navigator’s speed, particularly during scrolling. Upon closer examination, we identified that the substantial consumption of resources and time was attributed to the rendering of these basic and compact navigator icons.
What was initially intended as a straightforward drawing of an icon, ended up becoming a needlessly intricate element that significantly impeded overall speed.
The Before and After
In 2023r3, a noticeable lag occurs during scrolling, with the thumbtrack failing to keep pace with the mouse movement.
In 2023r4, scrolling has been significantly improved and the thumbtrack now maintains synchronization with the mouse movement, resulting in a smoother experience.
What other benefits does this change offer?
Having pinpointed the root cause of this issue, we proceeded to implement updates across various instances where the needless drawing persisted. We identified a similar occurrence when rendering command bar icons affecting every keystroke in the code editor and movement in the layout editor. Refactoring this aspect is expected to enhance performance in these specific areas of the IDE. We trust that you will find the IDE more enjoyable following these small and simple changes.
William Yu grew up in Canada learning to program BASIC on a Vic-20. He is Xojo’s resident Windows and Linux engineer, among his many other skills. Some may say he has joined the dark side here in the USA, but he will always be a Canadian at heart.