From: Tim X Date: 2007-04-16T17:20:12+09:00 Subject: Re: What is your favourite IDE? Eclipse DLTK! "Huw Collingbourne" writes: > Thanks for the extra information about 'semantic highlighting'. I can't > quite picture how we would be able to indicate scope information clearly > using this technique, particularly as we already indicate syntax information > with colouring. > Yes, I agree it is not easy to identify the best visual way to represent additional information since colour based syntax highlighting is already extensively used. However, possibly things like showing out of scope variables etc in a different brightness, or with an underline or slightly different sized font or .... I guess what is really needed is someone with a really fresh take on the whole problem. I tend to feel that a lot of what we have come to accept as standard interface practices have become so more through chance than through real analysis. For instance, we have all become use to syntax highlighting using colours and now we may consider how to indicate other information, such as that derived from semantic analysis. However, may be we have it around the wrong way. Maybe colours should be used to indicate semantic information and some other approach used for syntax info. Likewise for other interface options. For example, I've never understood why everyone appears to be so keen on using mice. I started before mice were common and grew up with keyborad macros and shortcut keys. Now, my collegues have commented on how fast I can get things done and a few of them have started moving away from heavy dependence on the mouse to using the keyboard. I've even known of someone who replaced their mouse with a foot powered system, which they really liked as it allowed them to keep their hands on the 'home keys' and use their feet to manipulate the pointer. The problem of course is that we are all now 'polluted' by our exposure to current interface design and find it hard to break away from conceiving things within that framework. However, I won't be surprised when the martians arrive and we see a totally different interface! -- tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au