From: Piers Cawley <pdcawley@...>
Date: 2001-11-23T19:26:23+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:26213] Re: Refactoring tool for Ruby...

Clemens Wyss <wys@helbling.ch> writes:

> Jimmy Thrasher wrote:
>
>> Seems to me that once these Ruby-in-Ruby projects become usable,
>> especially the ones that generate ASTs, like Rockit, this won't be
>> very difficult.
>
>
> ....although this will allow implementing nice refactoring methods, we
> are still far from a Ruyb refactoring tool. IMHO a refactoring tool
> only makes sense in an IDE. Therefore "WE" need to
> a) agree on a platform independent GUI-framework (FX,...)
> b) build a userfriendly IDE
> c) add the follwing features to the IDE:
>    - code-browser
>    - debugger
>    - refactoring
>
> Have we got a) done?

The approach I've taken with preface, the Perl REFACtoring Engine is
to seperate the refactoring engine from whatever does the GUI. For
instance, now I have extract_method working I can write a bunch of
emacs lisp (my editor of choice) which calls that code, et voila,
instant interface. 

And if someone wants to go and plug it into the IDE of their choice,
they can make use of the refactoring engine; I only have to worry
about the engine's basic API.

-- 
Piers

   "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a language in
    possession of a rich syntax must be in need of a rewrite."
         -- Jane Austen?