Set file as modified using OTA - delphi

Question

As we know Build compiles all used units and Compile compiles only changed used units. But when you are working with ifdefs and need to change it a lot of times you must Build the project a lot of times.
If you have to much libraries that you know that this IFDEF will not change the behavior, there is no reason to build this library again.
What I want to do discovery is a way to say to the IDE that some files was changed and call the Compile and not the Build.
How to get the units and every else I know, but some know how to set the unit as modified?
Tks
Couldn't find a why to solve my problem yet. I found a way to set it as modified the problem is that it doesn't force the IDE to build it as I thought it'll.
Some one know what checks is made to an archive be sent to compile ?

Answer 1

Solved in a simpler way. I just deleted the DCU of the file and ok, it'll compile it again. :D
http://paste.ideaslabs.com/show/KCB9cq2Z8c

Answer 2

Let us assume that what you want is to mark editor buffers modified. That assumes there is an editor buffer to modify, which in most cases, there isn't, for most items in your Project. Let's suppose that you ALWAYS have every file in your project open at all times, then perhaps you can tweak those open units, this way.
My thinking is that you would actually need not only to mark editor buffers modified, but also TOUCH all the files on disk that would need to be rebuilt because of the #define change.
To know which files are affected, you would need to read all the files. I think, that the odds of you doing this reliably, over and over again, and faster than just doing a BUILD are pretty slim.
But if you did decide to go for it, you need not only to modify buffer Modified flags, but also, for any other file in the current project group, or which is in a folder included in the search or library path, find any file which might be affected.
You can see perhaps that this is more complex than you first thought.
And, as far as OTA goes, here is IOTAEditor property, Modified, it is read only.
The OTA doesn't want you changing it:
IOTAEditor = interface(IUnknown)
['{F17A7BD0-E07D-11D1-AB0B-00C04FB16FB3}']
...
function GetModified: Boolean;
..
property Modified: Boolean read GetModified;
..
end;
But you could actually modify the buffer CONTENT itself, and that would set the flag.
Use IOTAEditorContent, get the content (IStream), modify it (add a space), then modify it again (take away the space). You have now set the dirty bit (call GetModified just for luck).
I found some sample code from JCL JclStackTraceViewerStackCodeUtils.pas that shows you how to read editor content using IOTAEditorContent:
function GetFileEditorContent(const AFileName: string): IStream;
var
I: Integer;
Module: IOTAModule;
EditorContent: IOTAEditorContent;
begin
Result := nil;
Module := (BorlandIDEServices as IOTAModuleServices).FindModule(AFileName);
if Assigned(Module) then
begin
for I := 0 to Module.ModuleFileCount - 1 do
if Supports(Module.ModuleFileEditors[I], IOTAEditorContent, EditorContent) then
begin
Result := EditorContent.Content;
Break;
end;
end;
end;
After re-reading your question, it seems to me you only want to mark open editor buffers as all changed, and then do a compile, for speed. So you might want to do this: Take the code above, get the IOTAEditorContent using Supports(), and tweak each one.
Update: Short and sweet version: Modifying the buffer isn't sufficient. Plus, you won't have buffers for the files you need to change, plus Touching the file on the disk doesn't do what you want. So no, you can't do exactly what you wanted to do. And even if you could somehow modify the compiler's ability to do Make-style dependency and modification checks, you would probably cause a lot of problems inside the IDE.

Answer 3

On IOTAModule70 = interface(IOTAModule50) I'll find MarkModified:
Description:
{ MarkModifed will mark this module as "modified" without actually indicating
why is it modified (which will cause internal file dates to remain constant).
This will force the IDE to ask to save this module when the user attempts
to close it. It will also clear the "discardability" of a new unnamed
module such as when File|New|Application is selected. }