[REBOL] Re: Teaching Rebol => was:{Re: Re: Parsing comment}
From: al:bri:xtra at: 26-Sep-2002 16:12
Jason wrote:
> That is where Python's IDE is great. You can look stuff up many ways, and
even get syntax hints on the fly. With conscienscious Docstrings and a
'smart' shell, Rebol could too. There's lots of good IDE ideas around.
I don't think it's possible to get syntax hints for Rebol, unless one tries
to execute the code. A Rebol IDE could show that a word refers to a function
that takes X arguments of Y type/s. That's a useful hint, but that fails if
the script (or a related script) replaces the value for that word when
executed! :) It will also fail when looking at a word used in a dialect.
For example, in my Wiki script, I use 'form, with two different meanings.
One is Rebol's usual 'form, the other is my ML dialect 'form that means
create a HTML form with the following block! value. Similarly with 'head as
well, one is Rebol's usual 'head, the other 'head means create a head
section in HTML from the following block.
Looking at a small section of my Wiki script, one could be easily confused!
It's not until one sees the entire context that it makes sense. This seems
to me to be a force that encourages me to keep scripts short and to have
powerful words.
Andrew Martin
ICQ: 26227169 http://valley.150m.com/
