🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3476@aw.sei.cmu.edu> firth@bd.sei.cmu.edu.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes:
>In article <1336@saturn.ucsc.edu> wolf@ssyx.ucsc.edu (Mike Wolf) writes:

>>The latest editor for VMS is called the Language Sensitive Editor.
>>I found the LSE more of an annoyance then anything else...

>For editors such as you describe, I'd agree.  An editor that just
>understands the syntax is, in my opinion, useless - it makes some
>trivial things easier and other trivial things harder.  The last
>such editor I tried to use got junked after 2 hours, when I found
>out

<Wouldn't let him use white space or place comments in legal places>

>It was also grindingly slow.

>On the other hand, a REAL language sensitive editor would be very
>useful.  Imagine placing the cursor on an identifier and being able
>with one click or keystroke to bring up its declaration.  Overload
>resolution and cross-module resolution done for you.  Imagine being
>able to see the fully qualified name of the identifier, with another
>click.  Imagine it tracking the range of a numeric expression as you
>type, and displaying that range in a little box.  And so on.

Hmmm. Yes, an editor which understands the semantic structure of the
target language would be nice.  Such an editor would understand the 
elements of the language, such as type and data declarations.  Then if 
it would help you keep track of the various entities in your program 
(type declarations, data items, functions, etc...) and assist you in 
composing and using them, THEN we might have a language sensitive editor.

I'm unfamiliar with VAX LSE, but my experience with language sensitive 
editors parallels the earlier-mentioned complaints.  They may be more 
accurately characterized as syntax-sensitive editors (SSE's).  Worse, 
they may even turn out to be STYLE-sensitive editors (another kind of
SSE) and this is what some (many? most?) alledged LSE's turn out to be.

Programming style is, in my experience, a rather sensitive issue; maybe
even as controversial as "which language is best."  I'm very particular
about MY style of programming, but rather more open minded about YOUR 
style (although I have seen some practices which are really bad).  I
don't want to debate style or criticize YOUR style, but I don't want to
do it YOUR way and I will not be forced to do so.  STYLE-sensitive 
editors impose style without offering sufficient compensitory benefits 
so keep'em away from me!

By the way, can anyone name any LSE's which go beyond syntax-checking?

regards, Larry
-- 
"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."
- Oscar Wilde, James Whistler or George Bernard Shaw depending on who you ask
Name: Larry A. Shurr (cbosgd!osu-cis!apr!las or try {cbosgd,ihnp4}!cbcp1!las)