Since there seem to be some IntelliJ folks here, I'd like to bring up my pet peeve: please take advantage of modern, gigantic _wide_ monitors.
It makes no sense for code to be in a single column on the left of the monitor while 2/3 of the right side is almost completely empty space. Instead of just allowing vertical scrolling, why not allow multiple columns and horizontal scrolling? This will result in the ability to see twice, in some cases three times as much code on screen!
I don't have intellij installed on my computer here, when you say 'split vertically,' do you mean it basically opens two views of same file next to each other, each view scrolling independently? If so, that isn't what I want -- almost every IDE and text editor already does that.
What I want is similar to how MS Word takes a single blob of text and reflows it in multiple columns.
Huh, that's interesting. I can't say I've encountered that need before though; it's much more valuable for me to have many panes of different files open at the same time (or two locations of one file), rather than an "extended buffer" of a single file. Most of the context outside the immediate method is not immediately important, and most methods are just a few lines long -- enough to fit in a pane.
No, it creates an additional editor area that can have any number of files open in it. You drag files between the areas or open the same file in multiple areas.
You can continue splitting any area vertically or horizontally to create a configuration that fits your working style or the code you're currently writing.
Interesting idea. Don't think it's been done with an IDE before. Expanding code based on context would be cool too. (eg. second column shows the implementation of whatever the first column's cursor is on - super handy when stepping through code)
Yeah I've been doing this for a while now, until I switched to a dual monitor set up where one monitor is landscape and the other, containing my IDE, is portrait.
Please don't do that! Wide lines are my pet peeve!
It doesn't make sense to use width just because you can. In fact it's a bad idea because it's much, much harder to read really wide text and code should be written to be read. You don't see (good) web pages, books or magazines with really wide text because it's really hard to read.
Also people sometimes work on small screen laptops and there you are constrained by width.
This is a major reason I still do my editing in XEmacs even though I use IntelliJ for debugging.
On a 1920-wide screen, using the standard X11 "6x10" font, I can split an XEmacs frame into three 100-column windows horizontally. I also split vertically, for a total of six. Add a second monitor, and I can see a lot of code! For complex tasks involving changes across multiple files, it's a big help.
You can also move the run/debug tabs from the bottom to the right side; it gives you more vertical space for editing and a LOT more room for logs, watches, etc.
I recently bought one of those large Korean monitors (2560x1440). Even with 90 degree notation, I can easily fit two columns of code on screen (well, there is space for two columns, no IDE actually does this)
This is my second one. Haven't had any problems. The one I'm using now is Crossover 27QD-P. I bought it because it pivots, ironically it doesn't work when pivoted on my older model macbook pro. However, it worked perfectly on a similar (slightly newer) macbook pro so the problem seems to be with my laptop. Make sure you have the correct connectors, I had a buy a displayport-dual-linkdvi adapter from monoprice.
It makes no sense for code to be in a single column on the left of the monitor while 2/3 of the right side is almost completely empty space. Instead of just allowing vertical scrolling, why not allow multiple columns and horizontal scrolling? This will result in the ability to see twice, in some cases three times as much code on screen!