# Coming in 8.1.18: Script editor improvements **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [May 16, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629 "2022-05-16T18:39:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/102 "2024-11-12T12:54:13Z")
Really, really, _ **REALLY** _ don't import from project library scripts. There be dragons (race conditions, especially). _Really_. ---
**Author:** ![louagejasper](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/louagejasper/32/86311_2.png) [@louagejasper](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/louagejasper)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/103 "2024-11-12T13:04:01Z")
Okay, I did not know that, thanks! Why is that and why is that not something easy to fix? ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/104 "2024-11-12T13:06:57Z")
I've helped narrow it down for IA, but any fix has a chance to break existing code. ☹ And the problem point I found might not be the only contributor. 😬 🤷‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![louagejasper](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/louagejasper/32/86311_2.png) [@louagejasper](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/louagejasper)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/105 "2024-11-12T13:11:28Z")
Sounds sketchy! I'll avoid importing project libraries then. ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/106 "2024-11-12T17:49:44Z")
> [@louagejasper](#): > > - The search in script functionality needs a find-and replace in the current script. Also we need options with capitalisation in that functionality. Ctrl + F brings up this toolbar: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/b/f/bf5e2efcdef5fcd185da884aa63fae4543c6e9b2.png) Ctrl + R brings up this toolbar, with the same options: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/c/a/caebf3c367006595defa4220609aa3d8e8b6c97e.png) > [@louagejasper](#): > > - When selecting a variable, it would be nice to see where that variable is used in the script. It's definitely not as user friendly as other editors, but if you highlight a selection, then press Ctrl + F, then search, all matching strings will be highlighted with the default settings in the search dialog: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/e/8/e808153d395bf6c3e4a45930b8bd1b953883aeab.png) All that said, > [@louagejasper](#): > > Will 8.3 come with new upgrades here? No, not 8.3.0 at least. Your other two bullet points (awareness of imports, awareness of class instances) require actually parsing the local AST, which so far the script editors have never had to do. Definitely doable, but non-trivial, especially with the franken-environment we run Ignition in. At the dev panel at this year's ICC, Carl (our CTO) mentioned that one of our _probable_ plans for Ignition 8.5 or whatever the next version is will be first party support for external code editors via LSP (mentioned further up in this thread). Basically - you work on your views/windows/alarm pipelines/etc in the designer directly, but then have the _option_ to edit your scripts in an external code editor like VS Code directly, making changes and saving them as regular files which then immediately apply back inside Ignition. That would be our ultimate goal, as an "end run" around the fact that it's just not possible for Inductive Automation, even if the entire company was focused on it, to make a code editor as good as existing alternatives with significant more resources focused on the task. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Bingham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Chris\_Bingham](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Chris_Bingham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 6:59pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/107 "2024-11-12T18:59:44Z")
> [@paul-griffith](#): > > but then have the _option_ to edit your scripts in an external code editor Love this idea. 👍 👍 A feature I would love to see in the Script Console is an 'auto-scroll' function - either by a checkbox, or automagically, whereby: _If the last line of the Interactive Interpreter is currently displayed (scroll bar at bottom?), then enable auto-scroll. If last line not displayed, then disable auto-scroll._ If printing thousands of lines (debugging), it would be handy to always see the most-recent print statement UNLESS I grab the scroll bar and move it up to see previous prints. At that point, it's handy to freeze the output window. A checkbox would get the job done in either case. ---
**Author:** ![louagejasper](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/louagejasper/32/86311_2.png) [@louagejasper](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/louagejasper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 7:47am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629/108 "2024-11-13T07:47:58Z")
Thanks for you reply Paul! > [@paul-griffith](#): > > Ctrl + R brings up this toolbar I did not know about this one! The other ones I use, but I don't find them as quick and easy as real IDE's. > [@paul-griffith](#): > > have the _option_ to edit your scripts in an external code editor like VS Code directly, making changes and saving them as regular files which then immediately apply back inside Ignition. I'm so excited to see this play out! [Previous page](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/coming-in-8-1-18-script-editor-improvements/59629.md?page=5)