tRev Quickstart

Installation
• Download tRev by clicking the OS X or Vista link (in right-hand column on our site).
• Place the tRev.app at the same level as Revolution.app or Revolution.exe.
• Drag tRev to your Dock or Taskbar
• Click the tRev icon on your Dock or Taskbar
When tRev opens, it automatically launches Rev for you if it isn't already open. If Rev is
already running, tRev doesn't care. He will show you a small portrait of himself in the
upper right corner of your screen, and then you're ready to rock and roar!
The first time you open tRev, it will download the components it needs. Once running, it
will let you know when it needs updating by placing a link in the lower left of the Editor
window that says: Updates Available. Click that link to get your component updates.
You can also use the Help menuʼs Check for Updates... to manually update tRevʼs
components.

Switching
There are six methods you can use to switch between tRev and Revolution:

1. You can click a window in either Rev or tRev to switch back and forth between the
two environments.
2. These are two different apps, but we have them working together as one.
3. Click the tRev logo at the top right of the screen to toggle between Rev and tRev.
NOTE: This operation is not possible on the Vista version of Revolution at this time.
The folks at RunRev are working on solving this problem.
4. Type command+r (Mac) or control+r (Vista) to go from Rev to tRev.
5. Editing the script of any object in Rev will automatically switch you to tRev.
6. There is a Preference (access via Edit menu on Vista or tRev menu on OS X) for
keeping the tRev editor visible at all times. This is a boon to folks with two monitors
and makes switching easier.

Instructions Tool Tips

In the tRev preferences you will see an option for Instructional Tooltips. When this is
turned on, youʼll see lots of helpful tooltips for using tRev. We recommend you take
advantage of this feature if you are new to tRev, or if a new feature has been added and
you want to be reminded of how it works.
Browsing
When you first open tRev without editing any scripts, you will see tRevʼs Object browser
by default. This is roughly equivalent to Revolutionʼs Application browser. It lets you
explore stacks, cards, groups and controls.
• If an object in the browser has a numeric value to its right, that means it contains that
many lines of code.
• If an object is grayed out, it is invisible.
NOTE: A group can be invisible, but the controls in it may or may not be.
• Any time you want to see the Object browser in tRev, create a new tab via the Tabs
menu or just type command+n (Mac) or control+n (Vista). n=new tab.
• Selecting an object and, then, double-clicking it or typing enter/return will open the
objectʼs code. Depressing the shift key while doing this will inspect the objectʼs
properties in Revolution using the Rev property inspector.

• When an object is selected, you will see Column Buttons become enabled at the
bottom of the objectʼs column. These are Go To, Visible, Delete or Close, depending
upon the type of object.

• NOTE: To bypass the delete dialog, hold down the shift key.

• Column Button shortcuts: g = Go To; v = Visible; d = Delete; c = Close.

• NOTE: No modifier key is needed for a Column Button shortcut!

• The Go To button goes to a stack or card in the toplevel (editable) mode—even if it is

modeless, modal or palette.

• Go To NOTE.1: If the targeted stack is not visible it becomes visible.

• Go to NOTE.2: If either the top left or bottom right of the target stack is not within one
of your screen rects, it get re-positioned in the center of your main screen.

• Go to NOTE.3: If you are going to any other type of object other than a card or a
stack, it gets selected with the pointer tool—provided it is visible and within the rect of
the card.

Inspecting
From Revolution:
• Use any accepted method of editing a script thatʼs native to Revolution. This includes:
• command+shift+s (Mac) or control+shift+s (Vista) for stack scripts
• command+shift+c or control+shift+c for card scripts
• Type command+e (Mac) or control+e (Vista) to edit the object beneath the pointer.
• Type command+d (Mac) or control+d (Vista) to edit the parent of the object beneath
the pointer. d=daddy (as in, whoʼs your daddy?)
From tRev:
• Type command (Mac) or control (Vista) +e to edit the object beneath the pointer.
• Type command (Mac) or control (Vista) +d to edit the parent (d=daddy) of the object
beneath the pointer.
• Depressing the shift key while doing either of those two operations will open the
objectʼs properties in Revolution using its property inspector.
• Hold down the option or alt key and move the pointer over any object to identify its
name and size. Then, press the command (Mac) or control (Vista) key to add it to the
tRev collection of tabs.
• Command or control+shift+s and command or control+shift+c also work in tRev as
they do in Revolution.
• You can also inspect the code or properties of an object from the Object browser as
described above.
• If you type control+space (Mac or Vista), the semi-long name of the Rev object
beneath your pointer will appear in tRevʼs active field. Holding down the shift key while
doing this will insert the short name of the object.

Coding
Once tRev editor is editing an objectʼs code, you can write handlers and comments just
as you would in Revolution – but, you have a couple of interesting options:
1. If you have the Auto-completion preference turned on, tRev will try and guess what
handler or variable name youʼre trying to type. It does this by suggesting the
completion of a word while you type.
• To accept a suggestion, type command (Mac) or control (Vista) +k.
• To view the next suggestion it has, type command or control+l (the key next to k on
the keyboard).
• To view the previous suggestion, type command or control+j (the key before k).
2. There are two types of comments in tRev that wield extraordinary power:
• Type --> messages to create a folder in the handler list called “messages.”
• Type /* my.properties + return to insert a special comment block that lets you
create a set of properties of the current object. This is called a “Raptor” handler.
• Type /* basic.properties followed by command or control+k and you will be able
to set the basic properties of the current object.
• Raptor handlers can be edited to suit your needs.
Code Navigation
As you accumulate handlers and call them in your code, you will notice that the text you
use to make these calls become hypertext links. Clicking these links will take you to the
handler they are calling. This is one of tRevʼs handiest features.
• If a link is show in italics, then it is pointing to a handler in another object.
• Handler links are based on handlers found within the current message path, as well as
those in the front scripts, back scripts, parent scripts and libraries that are running.

Handler List
As you write code in the form of handlers, they accumulate in a list to the left of your
code. If you use the folder comments, these handlers will collect into folders. The Sort
and Donʼt Sort buttons at the bottom of the Handler List will change the order in which
these handler names appear.
There are a few unique characteristics of the names in the Handler List:
• The first word of any block comment will be given the same status in the Handler List
as a handler.
• Functions and GetProp handlers will be followed by () .
Tabs
• Close tabs by clicking their Close box or by depressing the escape key. When one tab
remains, escape switches back to Rev.
• Type CMD or CTL+n for a New tab. (By default, this contains an Object browser.)
• Type CMD or CTL+[ to go to the Previous tab (to left of the current tab).
• Type CMD or CTL+] to go to the Next tab (to right of the current).
• Type CMD or CTL+shift+[ to go to the First tab.
• Type CMD or CTL+shift+] to go to the Last tab.

Find & Replace

Under the View menu, you will find a means of showing and hiding the Find/Replace
panel. Thereʼs a nice CMD or CTL+shift+f shortcut for it as well.
There are three things that differentiate the functionality of this component:
1. You can set the case-sensitivity and whole-word options via a pop down menu at the
right of the panel.
2. You can search the current tab or all tabs via the menu in #1 above.
3. You can also use the same pane to search objects in the Object browser or tokens in
the code editor.
The most helpful feature of Find is the ability to select a word and, then, type CMD or
CTL+g to find its next instance. This is a choice under the Edit menu.

Interoperability
Under the Tools menu you will see some menu items that open tools in Revolution.
• CMD or CTL+m will open the Message Box.
• CMD or CTL+shift+m will open the Menu Builder.
• CMD or CTL+shift+a will open the Application browser.
These shortcuts work in Revolution as well as in tRev.

Additional Tools for Coding

There are panes that appear when you need help coding. These are shown and hidden
by clicking on the word Errors, Decoder or Definitions found along the bottom of the
code field and also accessible via the View menu. Each of these panels, when visible,
have a small close icon at the top left, like the tabs.

Errors
This panel automatically opens when you have a compile or execution error. The error
data will be found there, along with a link to the line number where Revolution believes
the error occurred. Most of the time, this line number is correct – but, sometimes it is the
previous line. The errant line of code will be red and hi-lighted, as well. The tab
belonging to the object will also be red.

Breakpoints and the Decoder

To set a tRev breakpoint, open the Decoder panel and select the line where youʼd like
the breakpoint to be set. Then, do one of the following: type return/enter, double-click
the line, or click the Set Break button at the bottom right of the window. To clear a
breakpoint, select it and do the same.
When first set, these breakpoints are lower case followed by pound sign and number.
After the script has run, the word “breakpoint” will be upper case and, when clicked, will
show context data for the code at that point in its execution: the content of handlers,
delimiters, constants, parameters.
Variable data is shown in the Decoder panel with link textstyle.
NOTE.1: If the link has “...” after it, this means not all of the data is being displayed.
Clicking the link will make the data editable, selectable (with command/control+a or
pointer) and subject to copy (via command/control+c).
NOTE.2: if you click on a variableʼs data that does not have “...” after it, that data will
end up in your clipboard.
Definitions
tRev has an extensive 1,500 word dictionary containing definitions of all Revolution
tokens (command, functions, properties, messages, objects, etc).
• After opening this panel, you can click within any token in your code and see its full
definition.
• Right-clicking (or control-click on Mac) any word in your code will automatically open
the Definitions panel and, then, show its definition.
Staying up-to-date
The application tRev is a standalone that houses the tRev components. tRev app
handles its own component updates. It tells you when it has a new component for you
and also when the app itself needs updating.
You can also check to see if there are new components or a new build of the app via the
Check for Updates menu item beneath tRev's Help menu.
It also shows you a link, in the bottom left corner of your Editor window, when there's
one or more components for you to update – or if a new version of the tRev app needs
to be downloaded and installed.
If there are new components to install, click Updates Available to retrieve them, and
they will be installed automatically. Some updates require restarting tRev, but most do
not. On the tRev site you will be advised as to whether you need to restart tRev.

The tRev APP, however, cannot update itself !!

You must do this. tRev will tell you when the app itself needs to be downloaded again
and installed, but you must do the downloading and installing.
How do you update tRev, the application? Just go to the tRev web site and look on the
right side of the page. Click the link to download the Mac or Vista version of the
application. Then, put the app where it belongs and you're ready to fire-up tRev!
Components and new versions of the app are available to current tRev license-holders
only. If your reg code has expired, visit our site to purchase a new one. We have kept
the price of tRev low, therefore the re-licensing fee is the same as the initial licensing
fee. That way we donʼt go broke doing this!