Re: Structured editors (was file naming)

[mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Feldman)]

In article <12863@encore.Encore.COM> jcallen@encore.Com (Jerry Callen) writes:
>
>Seriously, I find that I make far fewer errors if I get the "end if"
>in at the same time that I type the "if." This kind of automated
>assistance is a help, not a hindrance, at least to this one non-novice
>person.
>
Automated _assistance_ is nice, but I want to be allowed to tell my assistant 
to buzz off if I wish. I don't wannabe a slave to it. See below.

Maybe it would help this discussion thread (which I find very interesting)
if we established some terminology (there is no standard terminology, so
I'll use some ad hoc stuff I've seen):

- by a "structure editor" we mean one which refuses to allow you to type
an illegal statement or part of one; everything is parsed on the fly and the 
thing won't proceed till you get it right. The "Pascal Genie" from the CMU
comp. sci. department is in this category; the Genie folks swear by it;

- by a "template editor" we mean something which gives the _user_ the option
to create a template for a given structure with a single keystroke. No parsing
is done; it's really just a macro expansion. The Meridian ADI editor is in
this category; actually, since this editor is just a version of emacs, we
can include the various emacs "modes" in this bucket too.

Assuming a compiler front end fast enough to find the _syntax_ (and lexical)
errors very rapidly - and Ada compilers are approaching this speed now, I
MUCH prefer the second type of editor. It's like so much else: I like neat
toys but don't like being compelled to use them. If I choose to crank
some garbage into my file - e.g. to create _purposely_ bad programs for
classroom use - I don't want the editor to get in the way. If the editor
is building a tree as it goes (like the Genie editor) it has no way to
accommodate my garbage, so it beeps. On the other hand, a reasonably smart
template editor (ADI is a primitive first cut) will give me the means to
generate structures without a lot of keyboarding, and correct structures
at that.

Which Ada-oriented editors, in your experience out there, are in which
category? Rational? DEC? Alsys (if it has one)?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prof. Michael Feldman
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-5253
mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu
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