Help with AXEpad installation on MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion

I am working on my first project and cannot load AXEpad on my MAC. I download it and it shows up in my finder, under downloads, as an application and it seems to open although the screen is mostly blank. At the top it says "Use check syntax to create label list" and on the right there is a column that says "Code Explorer". It doesn't appear in my launchpad though so I have to open it from the finder, under downloads, every time?? I am not a MACite, relatively new to the platform, so I'm not totally sure what's happening although I heard with Mountain Lion it won't allow you to download programs that aren't in the Apple Store?? Any direction is much appreciated. Collin
 

nick12ab

Senior Member
I am working on my first project and cannot load AXEpad on my MAC. I download it and it shows up in my finder, under downloads, as an application and it seems to open although the screen is mostly blank. At the top it says "Use check syntax to create label list" and on the right there is a column that says "Code Explorer".
It should be mostly blank! You're supposed to write your code in the blank area.

axepad.png

Or does it not look like that? If not, screenshot please.

It doesn't appear in my launchpad though so I have to open it from the finder, under downloads, every time?? I am not a MACite, relatively new to the platform, so I'm not totally sure what's happening although I heard with Mountain Lion it won't allow you to download programs that aren't in the Apple Store?? Any direction is much appreciated. Collin
I know nothing about Macs, but on Windows 7 you can drag stuff to the taskbar to create a shortcut or desktop to copy whatever was being dragged there (a shortcut can be created instead by dragging with the right mouse button and a little option menu will show) so maybe Mac works in a similar way?
 

nick12ab

Senior Member
Nick, the only things I can check under view are 1) Code Explorer 2) Refresh 3) Options. ??
I get:
  1. Toolbar
  2. Code Explorer
  3. Options
No 'Refresh'.

Are all the normal functions still accessable via the menus?

Are you running the binary on its own or with whatever files were included with the download as well in the same folder?

Are you using the right version for your Mac? (Intel/PowerPC) A Macbook Pro with Intel processor uses the Intel version, not the PowerPC version - 'Pro' doesn't mean use the 'PowerPC' version.
 
Nick, I think all the normal functions are available, I've never used it so not for sure but it seems to be OK. I have downloaded the correct version (intel for MAC). As for the binary question...I'm lost?? Thanks, Collin
 

nick12ab

Senior Member
As for the binary question...I'm lost?? Thanks, Collin
'binary' - I thought that was what they call executable files / .EXEs on Macs.

WinAXEpad, when downloaded, has an axepad.exe file and some folders with the individual compilers, DLLs and some other stuff in. In Windows if you run a program from a zipped folder it asks whether you want to run the program or extract everything due to there being other files and clicking 'Run' will actually cause just the executable alone to be extracted into a temporary folder and executed there. On Windows, that caused a runtime error but I don't know what happens if you try to do the equivalent on a Mac with the Mac version.

The normal functions are - syntax check, program, save, open, print, PWM wizard and some others which I can't remember. Just type 'high B.0' into the program space and click 'Syntax Check' and see if it says how much program memory is used up or if it shows an error message.

If you definately extracted all files from the archive file you downloaded from the website into a different folder and AXEpad still doesn't work properly, then I can't imagine what could be wrong and you'll have to wait for Technical to say something.
 
M

mkstevo

Guest
Hello.
I'm running AXEpad on Mountain Lion, on an iMac.

When the Application is first started, I get a small(ish) window that looks something like this:

ScreenGrab.jpg

Only once a file has been loaded or typed in will you see something like this:

ScreenGrab2.jpg

Which is a file I've loaded and then used the 'Check Syntax' menu option to load the list of variable and constant names on the right hand side.

If the MacAXEpad file won't open due to the file not being signed (or downloaded from the Apple App Store) it doesn't show any menu options at all. In this case, right click on the icon in the Applications folder, and then click 'Open'. This should then show a dialog where you can confirm that you want to open an untrusted file. Once this is done you'll be able to open MacAXEpad normally until you update it with a new version.

I hope I've made some sense...
 
mkstevo, Thank you for the information. I haven't loaded a file yet but the first screen is what I get so I think I'm on the right track. Thanks again! Collin
 

Willh

New Member
Hi,
I'm in the same boat:
Download MacAxePad onto a Macbook pro running Lion. Opened the .tar file to install, clicked the red AxePad icon to run, and voila - no toolbar, and no "toolbar" item to activate in the view menu. It looks like you can do everything without a toolbar, by selecting actions from the "Picaxe" or "Edit" menus, but, after using the Programming Editor on a Windows PC, a toolbar would be nice for the Mac. Any suggestions on how to make one happen?
Thanks,
Will
 

nick12ab

Senior Member
Welcome to the PICAXE Forum.

This looks like it is an AXEPAD limitation. Not being a Mac programmer, I don't know if creating a toolbar with icons requires considerably more effort on Mac OS than it does on Windows or Linux. Because Macs have the menu bar at the top of the screen instead of in the window of the individual application this hints that this is the case.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Opened the .tar file to install, clicked the red AxePad icon to run, and voila - no toolbar, and no "toolbar" item to activate in the view menu.
Could the problem be that you are running AXEpad from within the .tar file and not actually installing then running the installed application ?
 
Willh,

I assume it is an issue with Macs so I just use the pull down menus. I have only done very basic programming but other than lack of convenience everything seems to work!

Collin
 
Top