[comp.misc] Structure editors

peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (03/26/89)

Has anyone actually had a good experience with one of these? I've used
language-oriented editors and structure-chart code generators, and I've
found neither to be worth the time or money.
-- 
Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.

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fischer@iesd.dk (Lars P. Fischer) (04/01/89)

In article <3565@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
>Has anyone actually had a good experience with one of these? I've used
>language-oriented editors and structure-chart code generators, and I've
>found neither to be worth the time or money.

Check out the AI and LISP litterature. The InterLisp people *love*
their structure editor, with DWIM (do-what-I-mean) interface and all
that (See [1]). Lots of research have gone into language-based editor,
and many people find these editors to be very good.

Me? I use Gnu Emacs, and haven't seen a language-based editor worth
the effort. It's all a matter of taste. Choice of editor is, after
all, one of the most *personal* things there is.

/Lars

[1] Erik Sandewall: "Programming in an Interactive Environment: The
    Lisp Experience", in David R. Barstow and Howard E. Shrobe and Erik
    Sandewall: "Interactive Programming Environments", McGraw-Hill,
    1984, pp 31-80.

    This guy really love InterLisp and it's editor. The article is
    followed by a letter from Richard M Stallman (creator of Emacs),
    stating that structure oriented editors are No Good, and a letter
    by Sandawall stating that RMS is All Wrong. Great fun!
--
Lars Fischer,  fischer@iesd.dk, {...}!mcvax!iesd!fischer
Dept. of Math. and Comp. Sci., University of Aalborg
Strandvejen 19, DK-9000 Aalborg, DENMARK
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
			-- Arthur C. Clarke