1. IDE Editor Hints
I was playing with a pop-up hint system for the Win32Lib IDE editor, and
wondered how it should behave.
One option is to have is display a routine prototype. For example, if you
type:
ntf(
then a popup hint could show you something like:
printf( integer handle, sequence format, object args )
This is relatively easy to do. If it were really clever, it could even use
prototypes of your own routine.
Since hints don't have to be limited to a single line, it might be nice if it
showed you the include file as well, and perhaps the value a routine returned on
failure:
x = dir( x )
include file.e
Failure returns -1
Then again, that's a pretty large hint.
Since the help system is smart enough to know that an include is needed, does
that mean it should *automatically* add the file? That's the question I'd be
asking if I were a newbie, anyway.
Then again, is that making the editer *too* smart?
Another option would be to have the hint show a possible completion for what you
are currently typing. For example:
spri
might elicit the hint:
sprintf(
and pressing some 'magic' key would complete the routine. In VB, you actually
get a dropdown listing all the possible values, but it's less sensible in
Euphoria, where there isn't a class system to bind possible values together, and
the return types of functions are never explicitly declared.
Of course, there needs to be a way to turn the hints off. I suspect that an
advanced user would find these things to be irritating after a while.
So what would an *advanced* user want to see?
Comments?
Thanks!
-- David Cuny
2. Re: IDE Editor Hints
CK Lester wrote:
>>One option is to have is display a routine prototype.
>>...
>I would prefer this method.
Good.
>It even highlights (bold) what parameter it is accepting at the time.
This can be done. It obviously requires an intelligent parser, but it's
doable.
>It also recognizes functions I've created and shows me those parameters.
Also doable. EE creates a function list, for example, by scanning the
current source file. A possibly nice feature would be if it scanned
'include' files, and included those in the hints as well.
Anything can be done - it's just a matter of work, and how much overhead you
want to add.
>I don't know that that [automatically including files]
>would be bad, especially if the option to turn off the feature were
>available.
I initially thought that it should warn you when it's doing that, but all
the design books tell you nothing irritates a user more than a chatty dialog
box that serves no real purpose - the code should just do it and shut up.
>>Another option would be to have the hint show a possible> completion for
>>what you are currently typing...
>This I'm not excited about, unless it was very inconspicuous or I could
>disable it.
Yes; if you didn't like it, it would get irritating *real* fast. On the
other hand, VB has a similar feature.
Thanks for the feedback!
-- David Cuny
3. Re: IDE Editor Hints
David,
> One option is to have is display a routine prototype. For example, if you
> type:
>
i]ntf(
> then a popup hint could show you something like:
> printf( integer handle, sequence format, object args )
> This is relatively easy to do. If it were really clever, it could even use
> prototypes of your own routine.
I would prefer this method. I'm used to (and appreciate) VBA's way of popping up
a hint when it recognizes an available function/sub [procedure], then hinting at
the parameters. It even highlights (bold) what parameter it is accepting at the
time. It also recognizes functions I've created and shows me those parameters.
> Since the help system is smart enough to know that an include is needed, does
> that mean it should
> *automatically* add the file? That's the question I'd be asking if I were a
> newbie, anyway.
> Then again, is that making the editer *too* smart?
I don't know that that would be bad, especially if the option to turn off the
feature were available.
> Another option would be to have the hint show a possible
> completion for what you are currently typing. For example:
> spri
> might elicit the hint:
> sprintf(
This I'm not excited about, unless it was very inconspicuous or I could disable
it.
Thanks!
ck
4. Re: IDE Editor Hints
- Posted by j.f.deneken at hccnet.nl
Mar 30, 2001
-
Last edited Mar 31, 2001
----- Original Message -----
From: David Cuny <euphoria_coder at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: EUforum <EUforum at topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 12:48 AM
Subject: Re: IDE Editor Hints
>
>
> CK Lester wrote:
>
> >>One option is to have is display a routine prototype.
> >>...
> >I would prefer this method.
>
> Good.
>
> >It even highlights (bold) what parameter it is accepting at the time.
>
> This can be done. It obviously requires an intelligent parser, but it's
> doable.
>
> >It also recognizes functions I've created and shows me those parameters.
>
> Also doable. EE creates a function list, for example, by scanning the
> current source file. A possibly nice feature would be if it scanned
> 'include' files, and included those in the hints as well.
>
> Anything can be done - it's just a matter of work, and how much overhead
you
> want to add.
>
> >I don't know that that [automatically including files]
> >would be bad, especially if the option to turn off the feature were
> >available.
>
> I initially thought that it should warn you when it's doing that, but all
> the design books tell you nothing irritates a user more than a chatty
dialog
> box that serves no real purpose - the code should just do it and shut up.
>
>
> >>Another option would be to have the hint show a possible> completion for
> >>what you are currently typing...
> >This I'm not excited about, unless it was very inconspicuous or I could
> >disable it.
>
> Yes; if you didn't like it, it would get irritating *real* fast. On the
> other hand, VB has a similar feature.
>
> Thanks for the feedback!
>
> -- David Cuny
>
===
Seems to me a good idea to take Visual Basics Editor as an example!
--Fritz Deneken
5. Re: IDE Editor Hints
David Cuny wrote:
> > Another option would be to have the hint show a possible
> > completion for what you are currently typing. For example:
> > spri
> > might elicit the hint:
> > sprintf(
Pressing CTRL+space in VC6.0 shows a listbox of possible completions
if there are more or it completes word if there is only one-
that's the way to go.
Everything that wouldn't be similar to Microsoft code editors would be crap.
6. Re: IDE Editor Hints
----- Original Message -----
From: Tone Skoda <tone.skoda at siol.net>
Subject: Re: IDE Editor Hints
>
>
> David Cuny wrote:
>
> > > Another option would be to have the hint show a possible
> > > completion for what you are currently typing. For example:
> > > spri
> > > might elicit the hint:
> > > sprintf(
>
> Pressing CTRL+space in VC6.0 shows a listbox of possible completions
> if there are more or it completes word if there is only one-
> that's the way to go.
> Everything that wouldn't be similar to Microsoft code editors would be
crap.
>
NO, let's go for the optimum solution!
Fritz
>
>
