My Love / Hate relationship with Deluge

My Love / Hate relationship with Deluge

Ok... so I should first say that I very much have an appreciation for all of the awesome things that I can do with Deluge.  It really can be quite powerful in a variety of ways, and allows for all kinds of customization that otherwise would not be possible.

Admittedly however, I've had days (and sometimes late nights that turn into early mornings) that I end up feeling like my head is going to explode when coding in Deluge.  Now let me emphasize something here... Deluge is a terrific language... but... it suffers enormously by the glaring lack of basic functionality within the web-based IDE.

So some of my gripes include:

1.  There are several variations of Deluge running across the various Zoho applications, and with various degrees of functionality.  Some are better than others - the best of these being being almost tolerable, the worst being barely usable.

2.  Depending on context and the relevant module, I can usually enter in an item ID, or a PO ID, or whatever other ID to run a test execution of my code with.  This is great, except that I have to enter the ID in every single time I want to run my code (CRM being one notable exception).  It's not a big deal, until you're testing and making changes in your code and end up having to deal with it 100 or 500 times... so much as to the extent that I've found myself writing key macros just to automate entry of the IDs while I run test executions.

3.  Depending on the module, error reporting is frequently misleading, often without providing line numbers (or frequently the incorrect line number), or using language that's either too obscure or written such that it really is a chore to decipher what it's even saying.  AppleSoft Basic provided better errors in 1976.  Granted, there are appreciable differences, but I stand by the fact that in 2020, even the most rudimentary basic ways of developing code should always give you a line number.  Always.  Always.

4.  In addition to specifying the line number, why not just highlight the point in the code in red so that you can just go right to the problem area and get down to business.

(Feel free to pass points 3 & 4 to the Sites and Commerce Face teams as well.)

5.  How about incorporating break points to halt the code where you can evaluate variables?

And so after contemplating the various issues, thought I'd put forth one possible approach that I would see as a way that could potentially catapult Deluge into the next level and beyond, while also reducing the anxiety experienced by seasoned programmers who relentlessly find themselves pulling their hair out, wondering why this otherwise useful language is so unbearably painful to develop with. (Granted, I can't speak for others, but I know there are others who have voiced similar sentiments.)

So if I were to imagine a path for redemption for Deluge, it might be by way of using Visual Studio Code as a catalyst.  Visual Studio Code has quickly and increasingly become one of the most commonly used code editors in recent years - largely because it's a Microsoft product vetted through years of development since Visual C++ was initially launched around 30 years ago.

It's become so ubiquitous that there even already exists a very basic code formatter for Zoho's Deluge as one of the available extensions - and could provide a starting place for more substantive integration to begin to take things a step further.

What could really take Deluge to the next level in this regard would potentially incorporate the use of a "live" connector that could operate between a user's Visual Studio Code installation and the Deluge Runtime Engine.  In essence, it could serve to automatically upload the most recent versions of an edited Deluge script from VS Code into whichever relevant Zoho module is in context, as well as invoke test executions of your code directly from the VS Code IDE.  Furthermore, the DRE would subsequently be able to report back error codes (with line numbers and relevant code to be highlighted) in realtime across the link. 

Taking it even a step further, such a link could also serve as means of proving a data connector to providing context while working on your Deluge code.  In other languages (and their related development environments), an ODBC connector can often be instantiated... not only during runtime, but also "live linked" during development so that you can develop your code while contextually aware of the data and relevant data types you're coding against.  

And because the aforementioned functionality has already been previously incorporated into VS Code for other languages, the UI in VS Code is already primed to be able to handle these tasks without reinventing the wheel.  Things like breakpoints, watch variables, data connectors are already either in place, or can likely be adapted.  This of course would dramatically shorten the time and effort needed to make something of this sort feasible. 

In effect, hardware debuggers for embedded solutions (like a microcontroller in a microwave oven or a cable TV set-top box) work the same way.  The execution of code, breakpoints, uploading of code, etc, are all traversing a simple link.  Typically, such hardware debugging in this regard can even be run remotely - even across the Internet over port forwarded IP addresses.

Ultimately my point is not to educate anyone on how debugging works, as I'm sure that Zoho's engineer's are already well versed in these concepts... but only as a means underscore that the model of debugging over IP is commonplace, and could probably easily be applied to the Deluge Runtime Engine as well.

Now I could be wrong, but if I were to guess... I'd be inclined to believe that much of the functionality that I've highlighted above is probably already in existence.  I say this not because I know of some secret codebase I've stumbled across or have some sort of secret insider knowledge that there's some stash of advanced tools lying in some hidden Zoho vault.

Rather, I say this only because so many of the aforementioned issues that I point out here would have been addressed long ago if the software engineers at Zoho were forced to use the same web-based tools as its client base.  I can't think of a single engineer that go to such lengths as to create a language like Deluge, and then not build in the most basic rudimentary means of providing error codes, debugging, and usable feedback.

Based on that assumption, it's almost a certainty IMHO that there are in-house tools in existence that provide this type of feedback, but few within Zoho's customer base have expressed enough dissatisfaction so far in order to warrant the efforts that would be required to bring such functionality to web-based Deluge IDE used by Zoho's client base. Naturally this just comes down to priorities, and would be the case in most any organization, these priorities are typically determined by the collective voice of its customer base.

Sometimes however, these needs might be a step removed from what the customer states vs what they don't know they should be asking for.  A business owner might, for example, choose one platform over another... not because of the degree of feedback provided by the web-based IDE used to implement customizations, as that's not even on their radar.

What might be on their radar however is that one platform has vastly more third partly customizations available, which might be the case if developers are much more inclined to develop for it, which can a directly impacted by the tools they have available to work from.

So all that to say... if it's the squeaky wheel that get's the most oil, "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK".

Thanks for consideration of the aforementioned issues.,
Bryan

      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ








                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Reports: Custom Search Function Fields

                                    Hi Zoho, Hope you'll add this into your roadmap. Issue: For the past 2yrs our global team been complaining and was brought to our attention recently that it's a time consuming process looking/scrolling down. Use-case: This form is a service report with
                                  • Zoho Projects app update: Voice notes for Tasks and Bugs module

                                    Hello everyone! In the latest version(v3.9.37) of the Zoho Projects Android app update, we have introduced voice notes for the Tasks and Bugs module. The voice notes can be added as an attachment or can be transcribed into text. Recording and attaching
                                  • zurl URL shortener Not working in Zoho social

                                    zurl URL shortener Not working in while creating a post in Zoho social
                                  • In the Zoho CRM Module I have TRN Field I should contain 15 digit Number , If it Contain less than 15 digit Then show Alert message on save of the button , If it not contain any number not want to sh

                                    Hi In the Zoho CRM Module I have TRN Field I should contain 15 digit Number , If it Contain less than 15 digit Then show Alert message on save of the button , If it not contain any number not want to show alert. How We can achive in Zoho CRm Using custom
                                  • Power of Automation::Streamline log hours to work hours upon task completion.

                                    Hello Everyone, A Custom Function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as to when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:-
                                  • Zoho Bookings know-how: A hands-on workshop series

                                    Hello! We’re conducting a hands-on workshop series to help simplify appointment scheduling for your business with Zoho Bookings. We’ll be covering various functionalities and showing how you can leverage them for your business across five different sessions.
                                  • Custom report

                                    Hello Everyone I hope everything is fine. I've tried to To change the layout of the reports, especially the summary page report, and I want to divide summary of each section in the survey but I can't For example: I have a survey containing five different
                                  • Zoho Journey - ZOHO MARKETING AUTOMATION

                                    I’ve encountered an issue while working with a journey in Zoho Marketing Automation. After creating the journey, I wanted to edit the "Match Criteria" settings. Unfortunately: The criteria section appears to be locked and not editable. I’m also unable
                                  • Custom Fields in PDF outputs

                                    I created a couple of custom fields. e.g Country of Origin and HS Tariff Code. I need these to appear on a clone of a sales order PDF template but on on the standard PDF template. When I select "appear on PDFs' it appears on both but when I don't select
                                  • How to create a Service Agreement with Quarterly Estimate

                                    Hello, I'm not sure if this has been asked before so please don't get mad at me for asking. We're an NDIS provider in Australia so we need to draft a Service Agreement for our client. With the recent changes in the NDIS we're now required to also include
                                  • Change Currency symbol

                                    I would like to change the way our currency displays when printed on quotes, invoices and purchase orders. Currently, we have Australian Dollars AUD as our Home Currency. The only two symbol choices available for this currency are "AU $" or "AUD". I would
                                  • Python - code studio

                                    Hi, I see the code studio is "coming soon". We have some files that will require some more complex transformation, is this feature far off? It appears to have been released in Zoho Analytics already
                                  • Zoho Social - Post Footer Templates

                                    As a content creator I often want to include some information at the end of most posts. It would be great if there was an option to add pre-written footers, similar to the Hashtag Groups at the end of posts. For example, if there is an offer I'm running
                                  • Seriously - Create multiple contacts for leads, (With Company as lead) Zoho CRM

                                    In Zoho CRM, considering a comapny as a lead, you need us to allow addition of more than one contact. Currently the Lead Section is missing "Add contact" feature which is available in "Accounts". When you know that a particular lead can have multiple
                                  • The Social Wall: August 2025

                                    Hello everyone, As summer ends, Zoho Social is gearing up for some exciting, bigger updates lined up for the months ahead. While those are in the works, we rolled out a few handy feature updates in August to keep your social media management running smoothly.
                                  • Ugh! - Text Box (Single Line) Not Enough - Text Box (Multi-line) Unavailable in PDF!

                                    I provide services, I do not sell items. In each estimate I send I provide a customized job description. A two or three sentence summary of the job to be performed. I need to be able to include this job description on each estimate I send as it's a critical
                                  • Allow to pick color for project groups in Zoho Projects

                                    Hi Zoho Team, It would be really helpful if users could assign colors to project groups. This would make it easier to visually distinguish groups, improve navigation, and give a clearer overview when managing multiple projects. Thanks for considering
                                  • Zoho Books - Quotes to Sales Order Automation

                                    Hi Books team, In the Quote settings there is an option to convert a Quote to an Invoice upon acceptance, but there is not feature to convert a Quote to a Sales Order (see screenshot below) For users selling products through Zoho Inventory, the workflow
                                  • Can't find imported leads

                                    Hi There I have imported leads into the CRM via a .xls document, and the import is showing up as having been successful, however - when I try and locate the leads in the CRM system, I cannot find them.  1. There are no filters applied  2. They are not
                                  • Custom Button Disappearing in mobile view | Zoho CRM Canvas

                                    I'm working in Zoho CRM Canvas to create a custom view for our sales team. One of the features I'm adding is a custom button that opens the leads address in another tab. I've had no issue with this in the desktop view, but in the mobile view the button
                                  • The connected workflow is a great idea just needs Projects Integrations

                                    I just discovered the connected workflows in CRM and its a Great Idea i wish it was integrated with Zoho Projects I will explain our use case I am already trying to do something like connected workflow with zoho flow Our requirement was to Create a Task
                                  • Zoho Projects MCP Feedback

                                    I've started using the MCP connector with Zoho Projects, and the features that exist really do work quite well - I feel this is going to be a major update to the Zoho Ecosystem. In projects a major missing feature is the ability to manage, (especially
                                  • Function #10: Update item prices automatically based on the last transaction created

                                    In businesses, item prices are not always fixed and can fluctuate due to various factors. If you find yourself manually adjusting the item rates every time they change, we have the ideal time-saving solution for you. In today's post, we bring you custom
                                  • email template

                                    How do I create and save an email template
                                  • Enhancements in Portal User Group creation flow

                                    Hello everyone, Before introducing new Portal features, here are some changes to the UI of Portals page to improve the user experience. Some tabs and options have been repositioned so that users can better access the functionalities of the feature. From
                                  • Archiving Contacts

                                    How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?
                                  • How do I filter contacts by account parameters?

                                    Need to filter a contact view according to account parameter, eg account type. Without this filter users are overwhelmed with irrelevant contacts. Workaround is to create a custom 'Contact Type' field but this unbearable duplicity as the information already
                                  • Can I add Conditional merge tags on my Templates?

                                    Hi I was wondering if I can use Conditional Mail Merge tags inside my Email templates/Quotes etc within the CRM? In spanish and in our business we use gender and academic degree salutations , ie: Dr., Dra., Sr., Srta., so the beginning of an email / letter
                                  • Zoho CRM button to download images from image upload field

                                    Hello, I am trying to create a button in Zoho CRM that I can place in my record details view for each record and use it to download all images in the image upload fields. I tried deluge, client scripts and even with a widget, but feel lost, could not
                                  • Unveiling Cadences: Redefining CRM interactions with automated sequential follow-ups

                                    Last modified on 01/04/2024: Cadences is now available for all Zoho CRM users in all data centres (DCs). Note that it was previously an early access feature, available only upon request, and was also known as Cadences Studio. As of April 1, 2024, it's
                                  • email moderation issue when email is sent in the name of a mail group

                                    Symptom: an email that is sent by a mail group moderator in the name of a moderated mail group is held back for approval. Reproduction: Create a moderated mail group with members and moderators. Allow that mails can be sent in the name of the group (extended settings). Send an email to the group as a group moderator, but in the name of the group. This mail is held back for moderation which is unexpected. Expected: A mail sent by group moderator to a moderated group are not held back for moderation
                                  • blank page after login

                                    blank page after logging into my email account Thanks you
                                  • Introducing the revamped What's New page

                                    Hello everyone! We're happy to announce that Zoho Campaigns' What's New page has undergone a complete revamp. We've bid the old page adieu after a long time and have introduced a new, sleeker-looking page. Without further ado, let's dive into the main
                                  • Always display images from this sender – Is this feature available?

                                    In Zoho mail, I had my "Load external images" setting set to "Ask me", and that's fine. That's the setting I prefer. What's not fine though is I always need to tick "Display now" for each email I get, regardless if I've done that multiple times from several
                                  • Function #9: Copy attachments of Sales Order to Purchase Order on conversion

                                    This week, we have written a custom function that automatically copies the attachments uploaded for a sales order to the corresponding purchase order after you convert it. Here's how to configure it in your Zoho Books organization. Custom Function: Hit
                                  • Free webinar: Security that works: Building resilience for the AI-powered workforce

                                    Hello there, Did you know that more than 51% of organizations worldwide have experienced one or more security breaches, each costing over $1 million in losses or incident response? In today’s threat landscape, simply playing defense is no longer enough.
                                  • "Subject" or "Narration"in Customer Statement

                                    Dear Sir, While creating invoice, we are giving in "Subject" the purpose of invoice. For Example - "GST for the month of Aug 23", IT return FY 22-23", "Consultancy", Internal Audit for May 23". But this subject is not coming in Customer Statement. Only
                                  • Zoho Books Sandbox environment

                                    Hello. Is there a free sandbox environment for the developers using Zoho Books API? I am working on the Zoho Books add-on and currently not ready to buy a premium service - maybe later when my add-on will start to bring money. Right now I just need a
                                  • Apply Vendor Credit Automatically

                                    Hello!!! Is there a way where in we can apply vendor credits automatically on the FIRST OUTSTANDING BILL of the vendor?? We have lots of VENDOR CREDITS ISSUES mostly!!! Applying it manually is a pain for us. Would be great if we have a way to apply the
                                  • Cliq iOS can't see shared screen

                                    Hello, I had this morning a video call with a colleague. She is using Cliq Desktop MacOS and wanted to share her screen with me. I'm on iPad. I noticed, while she shared her screen, I could only see her video, but not the shared screen... Does Cliq iOS is able to display shared screen, or is it somewhere else to be found ? Regards
                                  • Next Page