From: Mario Lang Date: 2001-05-24T01:41:26+09:00 Subject: [ruby-talk:15602] Interactive Ruby II Hello. First of all, I want to introduce myself: I am new to ruby, writing code in Perl/Python/C since about 4 years. I stumbled over Ruby some weeks ago and I am really impressed by how the language looks and what it can do. I want to start a new project to play with ruby and get familiar with a pure object design. What I am thinking about is a Interactive Ruby IDE. As I am a Emacs user, I would like to introduce two Emacs concepts into this project: 1. Extensibility: As with Emacs and Lisp, the same will aplly to any ruby-based project. It is damn easy to make it extensible. At least if you know how to go about it. 1. Interface Independence: If someone writes a Emacs Lisp extension, it is most likely functioning under both Emacsen (the console and X version), without much effort from the developer. The second concept is most important for me as I am a blind Linux User and only can use console programs as they are text based and can be rendered on a refreshable braille display. So, what I am thinking about since some days - and where I would really appreciate any input from you guru-ruby users is: A interactive Ruby IDE based on the above principles. But the interface indepence bothers me a bit. I cant find out how to structure a program from the grounds up well, so that different interfaces can be written for it later on without modification of the core. Perhaps ruby provides anything for doing such things in a nice and clear way. Perhaps someone knows any good techniques and/or design patterns which are documented in digital form (you know, I dont like books, as I cant read them). Perhaps some project like this is already on the way (the ruby IDE) but the programmer writes it for X (most likely). If this apllies, I would be happy to join forces. And I would hope to convince the author of the importance of interface independence. I have also found the textbuf extension, which I really liked. But if the project would go that far, I would like it more to redesign the buffer idea of Emacs so that it is more flexible in the futre. Example, currently someone is writing the table.el extension for Emacs, which allows editing of tabular data. He uses many tricks to accomplish this. If I would really start a IDE/Editor project on the basis of interface independence and extensibility, I would like to find a better concept for buffers, based on inheritence. So that any kind of buffers could be accomplished just by subclassing a basic buffer class. So, enough giberish forr now. If anyone here sypathesizes with my ideas and concepts, please give me your feedback. In the group, or via private mail. Just as you like. I would like to start writing a simple interactive ruby interface with integrated inspection features and tab-completion. If the project never to something else I would be still happy with it. But considering the extensibility approach, if it is well designed from the grounds up, it could really fast grow into the Emacs of the 21st century. But such a project can only work if many people are helping out. So this is ment as a call for help and interest. Also, any technique, currently under development project or simple suggestion can help, because the start (design) phase of such a project is the very very important as you all surely know. BTW: Does Rumacs sound good to you? :) -- CYa, Mario Homepage(s): http://delysid.org | http://piss.at/ I won't mention any names, because I don't want to get sun4's into trouble... :-) -- Larry Wall in <11333@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>