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From: rnpantos@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Roger Pantos)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: THINK C Suggestions
Summary: external editors
Message-ID: <1990Oct15.152626.10874@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 15 Oct 90 15:26:26 GMT
References: <90283.224058CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu>
Sender: rnpantos@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Organization: University of Waterloo
Lines: 40

(I haven't seen this mentioned yet, apologies if it has been) :

Here is a simple addition to Think C that would make life easier for
those of us who insist on using QUED/M, Alpha, Preditor, uEmacs, etc.
(i.e. _real_ editors :-) :

	When "Running" the project, check the modification dates on the
	source files, and re-compile any that are later than when the
	project was last compiled. In addition, make it a user option
	to similarly recompile all sources with header dependencies when
	the header has changed.

	This bring us a little closer to (my opinion) the ideal Think C
	setup:
	o With only the project window open in TC, you save your source
	  (in QUED or whatever), switch to TC and "Run".
	o TC (naturally :-) finds a compile-time error, and puts up a
	  MODELESS dialog telling you about it.
	o Since you've got "External Editor" checked in project options,
	  instead of opening the source and moving to the error, TC sends
	  an AppleEvent to the editor, and _it_ moves to the right line.
	o you switch back out to the editor, fix the bug, re-save, and
	  re-enter TC. You run the program again, which causes the error
	  dialog (still up) to go away.
	o Any more bugs, go back to step 2 until the program runs.

This is obviously not going to be work until System 7, when AppleEvents are
supported. (It also requires MultiFinder, but that's mandatory in System 7.)
But if Think C worked that way, it would make me, at least, very happy.

(There is also the opinion that TC should find all the errors, and open a
window in the editor with a list. This would be nice, but if it would kill TC's
compile speed, which some have suggested, then I could live without it.)

cheers

---
Roger Pantos		rnpantos@watdragon.waterloo.edu		4A AM Hell :-)
"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those who do
 not possess it."	-- George Bernard Shaw