Here is a screenshot for screenshot tutorial that shows how you can configure IDE 2.X to have the serial monitor not at the bottom of the window but on the right side.
If you have installed IDE 2.X and show the serial monitor it looks like this
With developing IDE 2.X the Arduino-Team added a lot of things and features to the IDE (which need quite some processor-power)
But the functionality of the serial monitor is different than in the Arduino IDE Version 1.X
IDE 2.X | IDE 1.8.19
integrated part of the main window | extra and resizable window
See many lines of code and | see many lines of code AND
a few lines of the serial monitor | many lines of the serial monitor
or | at the same time
See a few lines of code and |
many lines of the serial monitor |
|
you can copy only the visible part | you can copy THOUSANDS of lines
of the window = 5 to 40 lines | shown in the serial monitor
This limited functionality was posted as an issue on Github on Feb 6, 2022
I tested the IDE version 2.3.2 on 21.07.2024 the limited functionality is still there.
This means this serial-monitor-issue exists since more than 900 Days = 2,46 years
Maybe I am too dumb to see it. But I did not find any information
when the development team will start solving this issue
nor did I find any statement why the development-team will keep the
serial monitors limited functionality forever.
What would be so hard to put the serial monitor into its own window?
Does this cause performance-problems?
I would be very astonished if it would cause performance-problems.
Here is a tutorial how you can install a completely independant portable version
Arduino-IDE 1.8.19 for much better debugging
I have been running my Serial monitor to the right for a while now, which helps.
One note, at least on my windows machine, I can simply press
the F1 key instead of having to remember ctrl+alt+p
My guess, is that the Arduino team, is stretched thin and so far, this has not been a high enough priority for them to resolve.
Plus there are two competing approaches on what to do here:
Fix the current stuff
rewrite the Serial monitor stuff, to be able to use a different window, and the like, similar to the Serial Plotter.
I believe they were planning on approach 2) but the attempts did not handle the higher speed devices like the Teensy 4.x which the USB output runs at USBHS. I am pretty sure the Teensy boards are now not the only boards that run at the HS (480mbs) speed... I don't believe that this is inherent to separate windows, as the Teensy mods for IDE 1 works and likewise TyCommander and other 3rd party apps handle the higher speeds.
I believe at the time they punted on 1) as for sure 2) would be done soon and it would be a waste of resources to work on the current stuff...
However, as many of these issues have been open for at least two and a half years, I would suggest, that it would be a good thing to address at least a few of the major
issues. Like: when you do a copy from the window, it should include everything that is currently selected. Just that one might be sufficient! Although it would be nice if
one could simply do: ctrl+a ctrl+c to copy the entire contents.
I am also wondering if it is time for me to triage through my still open issues and close out all of the older detritus. I do this occasionally, figuring that if an issue or PR has not been addressed in a year or two, it is unlikely to be. Or in some cases, I have lost interest and moved on to other things.
Although closing resolved issues which the developers forgot to close when they implemented the fix is a very valuable contribution, when it comes to unresolved issues I would really prefer you didn't do that.
Even if resources are not available to resolve an issue or implement a feature request, it is still important to document it. If an issue is closed then it no longer serves that purpose.
