Aspect Browser: Aspect Emacs and Nebulous

Nebulous Command Summary

1. Menu Bar and Menu Commands
   1. FILES
      • Quick Start - A quick and easy way to add files to your session.
      • Add and Remove Files - A more comprehensive way to add files to your session.
      • Reload Changed Files - Updates the file contents in Nebulous. This is especially useful after modifying some files.
      • Save Session - Saves the aspect patterns and file views to a file.
      • Load Session - Loads the aspect patterns and file views from a file.
      • Quit - Quits
   2. Atlas Buttons
      Fold Atlas Buttons - Folds the atlas tabs that are empty of files.
   3. File Panels
      • Show all panels - Shows all the file panels
      • Fold the panels without aspects - Squishes the files without any shown matches into a thin strip.
      • Hide File panels without aspects - Hides the panels without any aspects.
      • Show immediate files only - All files within the present directory (or container) is shown.
      • Expand immediate subdirectories - All files within the present directory (or container) and any files within the immediate sub-directory (or sub-container) is shown.
      • Recursively expand all subdirectories - Expands all subdirectories
      • Set File Panel Width Preferences - A dialog box appears that allows the user to set the minimum size of the windows and the incremental size of each step when the widths are changed.
      • File Panel Sort Options - The order of the file panels can be set here in respect to alphabetical order and size.
   4. Options
      • Change Threshold of Hidden Aspect Folder - The number of hidden aspect patterns before a hidden aspect folder is created can be changed with this dialog box.
      • Change Cache Size - A dialog box appears with the option of changing the size of the cache. If the directory panels are large or taking up too much memory, reducing the size of the cache may reduce memory and performance problems.
      • Change Background Color - Changes the background color.
      • Traversal Action Options - After reaching the last match with the traversal feature, a dialog box usually appears asking the user to search in the next directory panel/Atlas Tab or wrap the search around in the same directory. The default action can be set here if the dialog box becomes an annoyance.
      • Display Text - Toggle switch for "text greeking".
   5. Actions
      • Get Redundant Lines - A dialog box appears and Nebulus scans the entire project for copied-and-pasted code. A list of them is then displayed on the dialog box and each entry can be chosen to be added to the Aspect Index.
2. GUI Interfaces
   • Add/Delete Aspect Pattern Buttons - Adds or Deletes aspect patterns.
   • Add/Delete Aspect Pattern Folder Buttons - Adds or Deletes aspect pattern folders.
   • Aspect Patterns - Regular expressions associated with a color. They are shown in the hierarchical aspect pattern tree. Annotations or comments can be added to each aspect pattern by right clicking on the pattern itself.
   • Aspect Pattern Tree - A tree that contains a collection of aspect patterns. The hierarchical structure allows the aspect patterns to be organized inside of folders.
   • Atlas Tabs - Row of buttons that selects a module or directory.
   • Cursor - Red cursor indicates where is the last position you have clicked on or traversed to. Progressively fading cursors indicate the last 5 positions where you have been.
   • Directory Panel - A large bin or container that encapsulates and contains the file panels. The directory panel is a defineable unit used by AB to separate files by modules or by directories.
   • Display Scale - Shows ratio of the number of pixels per line scale, where P = pixels and L = lines.
   • File Panels - Vertical thin windows that represent a file in the project. Aspect patterns are highlighted inside of these windows. Double-clicking on one of these windows will reveal the code at that point.
   • Folded Nodes - When many aspect patterns in a row are hidden, they are squeezed into a single node to reduce clutter in the aspect pattern tree.
   • Folders - Aspect patterns are stored inside of folders inside the aspect pattern tree for organizational purposes.
   • Magnify/Minify Buttons - Enlarges or shrinks the scale of the file panels in respect to the number of pixels per line of text.
   • Pattern Text Field - Enter new aspect patterns or folder names here.
   • Traversal Mode - A pull down list menu that displays various options of traversing aspect patterns through the files. Use the arrow buttons next to it to traverse forwards and backwards. The red dot button sends you to the present position of the red cursor.
     • All Aspects - Go from one aspect to another.
     • Selected Pattern - Go from one specific match to another.
     • Aspect Collisions - Go from one collision to the next collision.
     • Cursor History - Traverse through the history of where the red cursor has been.
   • Wider/Thinner Buttons - Widens or narrows the file panels.