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Date:Mon Aug 31 09:21:05 2003 
Subject:word completion > Syntax Editor 
From:eas-lab 
Volume-ID:1030831.01 

Hi,

On 30 Aug 2003 eas-lab@absamail.co.za wrote:

> > define  :ved_runtime_action;
> >  .......
> >     vedsetkey('\^[[24~', ved_add_for());

Aaron wrote:

> Almost right, apart from '()'.
> 
> After a procedure expression '()' means run the procedure, and use its
> results (if any) in that context.
> .....< all the relevant explanation and theory> ...

THANKS !!  I'll file and study the theory/reasons.
'Dot notation' is (also) a new feature for me.

<F1>f --> "for structure": looks good !!
<F1>i, <F1>r, <F1>d  ...etc.  all have their place.

But before I start typing, I'm guessing that 
    define ved_add_for();
        [ 'lvars ' + ';' nl 'for  in  do' nl 'endfor;' - ] .do_ved_add
    enddefine;
can be replaced by something like:
    define ved_add_for();
 <a pointer to the ved_add_for.p file> .do_ved_add
    enddefine;
??

I've re. modified the 'Subject:' header to emphasise that I want to
take this thread (which I originated) to a higher, more general
(meta) level.

* A recent  article reminded me that 'Turbo Pascal' from late 80s
  became a killer application mainly because of the brilliant IDE.
  (NB. brilliance often means simple - poplog is too bloated.
But fortunately a minimal structure can overlay [to access] the bloat.)
* A recent return, after years, to reuse TP4, confirmed this for me.
* When I come back to poplog after 6 months, I have problems.
* Why is there such a small user base of free poplog ?
* While testing some code under TP4, I asked my self: 'Why must I
    continually scroll up (and down) to the declarations section
    [lvars...] to see how I spelled 'ClusterPerSectr'...etc. ? 
  Why can't there just be a pick-list of the in-scope variables ?'
  Retyping identifiers after you've invented them, is punishment
   for prisoners - as is retyping reserved words.

BTW, while looking through my notes (and memory) how to
re-map keys, I 'fell over' how to 'step through a sequence of'
<action> * <title>, and jump to the selection; which I had forgotten.
The very word asterisk did not enter my mind.
US calls it 'star'.  Think/act globally. It's 2003.
And the most basic/essential operation: 'find a text string in ved'
I don't see how to do !! 

My point being:
 I suspect mnemonic (pulling it out of your mind) is not good enough.
You need to SEE a reminder (for beginners and us who leave off for
6 months).   Refering back to the original 'killer aps': the spread-sheets,
you just needed one key to get into the top-menu, and the world was
open to you.

Think Menu, not Mnemonics.
==========================

I believe that without disturbing all the existing good-stuff of ved,
a further/additional EVOLVED menu sytem could be overlayed.

NB. 'old timers' can never know what's needed for beginners, so
it MUST evolve via beginners' feedback.

No other system could extend/evolve such tools as painlessly as
poplog ?

When I get back to poplog I will make extensive use of the 
'key-bound structure templates' and feedback a beginner's
viewpoint, for possible refinements.

Please just, tell how/if I can simply just 'include' the sources
in the various <structures>.p, in do_ved_add.

Thanks,

-- Chris Glur.