Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!brunix!rca From: rca@cs.brown.edu (Ronald C.F. Antony) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: call for built in IB documenter Message-ID: <69735@brunix.UUCP> Date: 25 Mar 91 03:27:18 GMT References: <68871@brunix.UUCP> <69158@brunix.UUCP> <1991Mar20.165430.2364@data.com> <27533@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> Sender: news@brunix.UUCP Reply-To: rca@cs.brown.edu (Ronald C.F. Antony) Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science Lines: 42 In article <27533@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> mfi@serc.cis.ufl.edu (Mark Interrante) writes: >I am more interested in what other developers think should be included >in upcoming versions of IB. It seems that additional interface/data structure >classes can be easily incorporated into IB so that is no longer an >issue for IB-only development. > >Possible areas: > >1. configuration support tools (multiuser) > >2. an integrated graphical compiler/debugging tools. (ala mac/PC >tools) of course this need not be part of IB per se. > >3. I would like the ability to double click on just about anything in >IB and have it open up or at least have an inspector popup. > >4. ? I think NeXT should have a look at Saber-C++ and Brown's Field environment. DEC e.g. licensed Field. (if you use it non commercially, it is available for free from Brown). For those that don't know what Field is, here a short abstract: Field is basically a message based glue that lets work together many of the Unix software tool. Some of them are also extended to do more than the basic version. This means you have a syntax sensitive editor that checks your grammar, thus resolving many problems before you do a compile. Then you have tools that let you graphically display complex data structures like e.g. trees. There are also graphical interfaces to make, x-ref tools etc. Since the whole thing is message based, it should be relatively easy to add other tools, use alternative editors etc. Field supports as of now, C, C++ and Pascal. So Objective-C support would have to added as well as an NextStep interface. In any case, it could be inspiring for the NeXT people to have a look at it, even more now that DEC will sell that as a product. Ronald ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." G.B. Shaw | rca@cs.brown.edu or antony@browncog.bitnet