[Oberon] Towards a syntax directed editor: IDE

[Bob Walkden]

> From: Bob Walkden [mailto:bob at web-options.com]
> 
> > From: eas lab [mailto:lab.eas at gmail.com]
> >
> > aka Old-paradigm rediscovered.
> >
> > The new paradigm/illusion, about 50 years old now, is commumicating
> > via written memos, with little-man-in-box.
> >
> > The original/valid view of computers is of a multi-dimensional
> switch.
> > All this talk about "typing and fingers" is absurd.
> >
> > The old railway-diagrams vividly emphasise that at all stages the
> next
> > valid token is one of only-a-few;  which is most economically [in
> > effort] just selected from a menu.
> >
> 
> it doesn't sound like anything I would choose to use. If you ever write
> it I would be intrigued to learn about the usability scores if you
> tested it with real programmers doing real work. I suspect it would
> score 0/20. It removes entirely the ability to sketch solutions, to
> leave things half-finished while you pursue other ideas. You step on
> the track, and you cannot deviate until you come out at the other end.
> It would be like shopping in Ikea (which I have only done once).

on top of which, the syntax of Oberon is so small and so simple that I
suspect very few people with a little experience make enough syntax errors,
or are so puzzled as to what to type next, for a thing like this to be of
any benefit. When I make syntax errors they are easily identified and
corrected and the edit-compile cycle-time is so short that the effort of
correction is negligible.

B