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From: leonardr@svc.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: THINK Pascal debugger (Re: THINK C Debugger)
Message-ID: <1990Nov15.210134.7758@svc.portal.com>
Date: 15 Nov 90 21:01:34 GMT
References: <1990Nov13.223209.16268@midway.uchicago.edu> <25759@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <4716@husc6.harvard.edu>
Organization: Software Venture
Lines: 51

In article <4716@husc6.harvard.edu> siegel@endor.UUCP (Rich Siegel) writes:
>In article <25759@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> Jim.Matthews@dartmouth.edu (Jim Matthews) writes:
>>In article <1990Nov13.223209.16268@midway.uchicago.edu>,
>>gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes:
>
>>work.  Part of that has to do with the kludgy way TP runs programs in its
>>own heap,
>
>	Actually, it's one of the more elegant pieces of work that I've 
>seen: a context switch that predates MultiFinder...
	I am split on this issue...I like the concept and some of the 
implementation of the Think Pascal 'debugging environment'.  It was a neat
idea back before MF, and even today is not so bad - BUT given the concurrent
application world of MF, not to mention the unrealisticness of it (bugs which
don't occur in the environment, but do in the real world - and vice versa),
it's about time to follow in Think C's footsteps!

>>
>>to select them and type Cmd-D.  Think Pascal shows all variables 
>>automatically, but that hides the few I care about among the many I don't.
>>The numerous icons and subpanes in the LightsBug window are an additional
>>distraction.
>
>	The Observe window is pretty handy for those (like you) with a
>minimalist philosophy; you can type expressions into the Observe window,
>and unlike the THINK C debugger, the expressions will be evaluated in the
>current context, rather than the context in which they were entered.
>
	Only one problem with the Observe Window (which does serve admirably
for normal uses) is that you can view entire records, which is a VERY common
thing to do when debugging!   I also agree with Jim that Lightsbug is a bit
too cluttered.  I like the multiple panes, at least the bottom two (the data
view and raw hex views are WONDERFUL (wish Think C had one!)), but I NEVER 
use the icons and they are distracting.   

	I think a lot of this stuff is historical.  What we now call Think
Pascal (what started life as QuickSilver), was designed originally as a 
basically 'MacPascal w/Compiler'.  It was (and still is) used in many
educational institutions as the Pascal environment for their students - even,
I teach a class using it (try that with MPW)!  Given this, many of the features
and choices of implementation lead towards this 'introductory' product, and
not for the professionial programmer - that doesn't mean that you can not
write a commercial or professional level product using it (I, and others, have
certainly done so) but does not make it easy - at least not as easy as Think
C!

-- 
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