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The SNiFF+ Editor

We will now learn more about Bottom-Up Browsing with SNiFF+. This kind of browsing is useful when you start from the source code looking at a symbol, e.g., a variable, and you would like to know more about its declaration and definition. Figuratively speaking, you are coming from a special-usage context (source code, therefore bottom) and are browsing up to its declaration (higher view). In the following step-by-step tour, you'll start with the Source Editor and learn about the Retriever, more about the Cross Referencer and about the Include Browser.


The integrated Source Editor is mouse- and menu-driven. It understands C++ syntax, provides browsing support and automatically highlights structurally important information, such as class names, method names and comments. When a source file is modified and saved, its symbol information is immediately updated.
In this chapter you will:
  • go to a variable's definition

  • get more information about the class where the variable is defined

  • find out if there are more symbols with the same name as the selected symbol

Continuing from the last chapter, the Source Editor is positioned at the definition of class
MenuBar .

Click for full size, then use Back button

We will now use the History menu to go to the method GetMinSize (implemented in ActionButton).

  1. Click on the History menu.
    What you see in the menu are all the locations you visited in the source code during the browsing session.
  2. Choose History > Buttons.h - et3.shared.
    The
    Buttons.h file is now loaded in the Source Editor.
  3. Choose ActionButton from the Class drop-down.
  4. Highlight GetMinSize in the Symbol List.
  5. Choose Show > Implementation of GetMinSize.
    The
    Buttons.C file is loaded into the Source Editor.

    Click for full size, then use Back button

  6. Study the method. Note that variable gLook is used for a method call.