From: Randy Kramer <rhkramer@...>
Date: 2006-05-01T07:38:40+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby based editor

On Sunday 30 April 2006 11:00 am, Phil Jackson wrote:
> Let me know your thoughts (which aren't allowed to include "do we really
> need another editor" :)).

Ok, I won't ask that in quite that way, but:

   * What is your goal for this editor--is it a learning project or intended 
to eventually be a "product" in some sense?  

   * Is it to be as full-featured as Emacs or more like Notepad?  

   * Have you estimated how much time it will take to accomplish what you wish 
to accomplish?  Is it a realistic estimate, and do you have that much time?

If I was going to expend effort on an editor, I'd work on nedit.  It is 
written in C, is very featureful and fast, etc.  It includes a C-style/based 
macro language, keystroke recording to start macros, syntax highlighting, 
autoindent, etc., etc., etc.  

But, as I understand it, the code base is at least a little messy at this 
point in time.  A "faction" of developers is pushing to do something along 
the lines of a feature freeze while the codebase is reorganized.

(I am not a nedit developer, primarily an enthusiastic user.  I am planning to 
incorporate nedit in a project I'm working on, currently at a me-ware stage.   
(IIR/UC, Joel Spolsky (sp?) developed the me-ware term for a project that is 
only suitable for use by the original developer (due to lack of all kinds of 
things--features, safety, robustness, ... .))

Assuming a feature freeze happens, once the codebase is reorganized, features 
will again be added and this could include a Ruby based macro language.  

One thing I don't like about Nedit is the look and feel of the Motif/lesstif 
based widgets.  I'm guessing (hoping?) that if the codebase were rewritten in 
an appropriate way, it would not be unreasonable to switch widget sets or to 
allow a user to choose one from a selection of suitable widget sets.

Depending on how much time and thought you've put into your plan to create a 
new editor, it may be worth your while to do some investigation of nedit and 
consider contributing your efforts there.

Here are some URLs and mailing lists:

   * http://www.nedit.org/
   * http://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
   * General NEdit discussion list <discuss@nedit.org>
   * NEdit development list <develop@nedit.org>

Randy Kramer