Make it possible to edit libraries in the IDE

[probonopd]

Books on Arduino give the advice that "Because the Arduino IDE is set up to recognize .ino files, it is often easier to write the header and source code files using a simple text editor like Notepad" (Jack Purdum, Beginning C for Arduino, Second Edition).

This is a shame.
The Arduino IDE should be able to open libraries for editing in a sane way.

[per1234]

I also think this would be very nice. I really like the IDE and find it easiest just to use one program for editing all my Arduino code. I have hacked together a system that allows me to edit libraries with the IDE. I'm guessing that the IDE doesn't allow saving to the library folders so that people can't accidentally modify the examples but it would be nice if the IDE was changed to only write protect the examples folder. Then you would just need to put a blank .ino file in the library folder(I use it for notes to myself about the project) to be able to edit. I also have my system set up so I can edit the keywords.txt and readme.md files as tabs in the IDE.

[Chris--A]

@per1234
As far as the file access goes, I would rather have control of it through the OS. If I select the examples folder and remove the read-only property from it and its contents, the IDE should not prevent me from overwriting the files.

[per1234]

@Chris--A I agree. I need to be able to edit the examples while I'm working on a library and it would be nice to be able to edit them in the examples subfolder of the library folder. How do you see this being implemented? Would the IDE set the files read-only after the library is installed and then leave the attribute alone after that?

[PaulStoffregen]

Eventually, in a distant future where the Arduino IDE supports breakpoint debugging, display of the libraries and core library files will be needed. This might be a good time to think about user interface/experience trade-offs related to displaying so many files, perhaps only when the user needs them.

[per1234]

@PaulStoffregen I agree that the best case scenario is to be able to open an example or test sketch and then have the option to open any of the included libraries files as tabs and be able to edit the library code and compile. That might be pretty distant future stuff, and maybe Arduino would consider it too advanced/confusing for the target user.

A more immediately obtainable, albeit less useful, option is just to allow the IDE to save to the library folders. Of course you can't compile them with the IDE, it's just a text editor. I prefer this to using the Arduino IDE for sketches only and then needing a separate program to edit libraries. This option wouldn't require any changes to the user interface or documentation. It would just provide another usage capability for people who want it.

I think making Arduino library development more accessible would benefit users, by allowing easier code reuse, and the community, by providing more available libraries.

[ffissore]

With 59dfede examples of libraries with a .development flag file in their root folder will not be flagged as read-only. Such file MUST NOT be pushed to git: the hourly job that fetches contributed libraries releases and publishes them to Library Manager will SKIP libs containing that file

[per1234]

@ffissore thanks for adding this functionality! I noticed this only works with the 1.5 library folder structure. Would it be possible to make it compatible with the 1.0 libraries folder structure also?

[per1234]

I was wrong, it just requires a library.properties file to be present so that's no problem just to add that to any library that's missing it. Thanks again!