[Oberon] Gadgets for SyntaxConstrainedEditor

[Thomas Frey]

In the Bluebottle editors as well as in the Oberon Editors you can use a 
configurable and parametrizable macro system for writing this kind of 
boring code.

try:
NewSource:M<ins>
resulting in:
MODULE NewSource;

END NewSource.

MyProcedure:P<ins>
resulting in:
PROCEDURE MyProcedure;
BEGIN

END MyProcedure;

ObjectExtension:ObjectBase:o<ins>
resulting in:
TYPE
    ObjectExtension = OBJECT(ObjectBase)

    END ObjectExtension;


where <ins> is the insert key on the keyboard.

There are dozens of predefined macros and it is extensible as well. (See 
Tutorial.Text in Bluebottle)

--Thomas

easlab at absamail.co.za wrote:
> Why should we be punished to pick chars off a keyboard, a-la-1965,
> when we could pick structures which are constrained to be syntactically
> correct at each stage of the refinement process ?
> 
> eg.
> Pick: 'NewSource' and 
>  See something like:---
> 
> 
>>MODULE NewSource;
>>
>>END NewSource.
> 
>    where the 'cursor' is by default at 'NewSource title', and it's 
> possible editing is auto-duplicated at the matching 'END NewSource'.
> I.e the text is constrained to be snytactically correct.
> ------------------------
> Pick: 'Refine' and 
>  See something like:---
> 
> 
>>MODULE Sample1;
>>
>>*CONST
>>*TYPE
>>*VAR
>>*PROCEDURE
>>*BEGIN
>>
>>END Sample1.   
> 
>    where the '*<valid selection>s  are conveniently available.
> ------------------------
> Pick: 'VAR' and 
>  See something like:---
> 
> 
>>MODULE Sample1;
>>
>>VAR ? : <current TypeList> ;
>>
>>END Sample1.
> 
>    where "?" and <current TypeList> are hi-lit and the cursor is
> appropriately located.
> ------------------------
> ....
> Pick: 'PROCEDURE' and 
>  See something like:---
> 
> 
>>MODULE Sample1;
>>
>>VAR i: INTEGER;
>>
>>PROCEDURE <ProcID>;
>>   BEGIN
>>   END <ProcID>;
>>
>>END Sample1.
> 
>    where the non-creative input is automated...
> ------------------------
> ....
> Pick: '<Statement>' and 
>  See something like:---
> 
>>...
>>* assignment
>>* ProcedureCall
>>*IfStatement
>>...
> 
> ------------------------
> Pick: '* assignment' and 
>  See something like:---
> 
> 
>>*<list of currently valid designators>  := <Expression>.
> 
> ..........
> 
> Even IF the concept is only viable for 'toy-sources', 
> evolution/refinement could perhaps bootstrap a
> useful tool ?
> 
> Reading through Chapter3.Text , Chapter4.Text again, it seems
> that I for one made a big mistake in not devoting effort to build
> fluency to use Gadgets.
> 
> It seems that Gadgets would be ideal for such a SyntaxEditor ?
> 
> == Chris Glur.
> 
> --
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