Re: syntax completion - a bad thing?

[Greg Bek <gab2@rational.com>]

Andrew Kelly wrote:
> 
>...
> 
> This seems, to me, to be more dangerous than it is useful ...
> eg. If you accidentally delete the "end" from a nested "if",
> where does the analyser stuff the "end"?  Indeed, even if it
> gets the placement correct (eg. by inference from the text
> indentation) if code statements have been inadvertantly deleted
> as well, a clearly erroneous file will compile cleanly.
>
The syntax completion algorthim attempts to put closing constructs
close the offending opening construct.  This tends to make the
additions obvious to the user performing the editing.  Similarly
you can force it to break constructs with a well placed semi-colon
when editing.

Certainly there is a risk in the syntax complete creating
eroneous code.  But programming is an intellectual activity,
you don't do it with the brain turned off.  The same risk
applies with a global search and replace, or the very common
cut/paste style of bug where you don't quite fix up all the
bits you should in the newly pasted text.

I wouldn't trade my Apex Ada editor for any other option,
the ability to browse definitions, perform show_usage and
auto formatting and syntax completion, along with 25 levels
of undo make it my editor of choice for Ada.  For me it
is the appropriate tool.  As Jerome D wrote is his response
there are ways to disable the behaviour if you want to.

 
> I believe syntax completion should be available during editting,
> but not automatically employed during compilation.  As far as I
> can discover, it cannot be switched off in Apex either.
> 
> Has anybody had any experiences with syntax completion that may
> confirm or allay my fears?