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New Editor Details.


Hi,

I'm overwhelmed with the response for the new editor, so I'll give you 
details and will make a web page for it.  Although, once you hear the 
details, maybe there won't be as much interest.

First of all my beef with @notedit.  Every six weeks it would crash, and 
overwrite files all over the MOO.  I posted that to this list twice and 
got no response.  A few people visiting my MOO have told me of similar 
woes, but I never recall hearing anything about it on the list.  In any 
event, here's my solution.

First of all it's short form syntax is almost the same as notedit.  So 
people that know notedit will be fairly comfortable.  However, if you 
don't know the syntax of a command, just type the command and you will be 
prompted for input.  No matter how you enter the command, you will be 
given a playback of what the command is about to do, and a choice to 
continue or abort.

The implementation of this is done with a separate room for each editing 
session.  The main editor is never entered, but has an invoke verb that 
finds a child that is empty and sends you to that.  This way there is no 
chance of overwriting sombody elses work, your room you enter is your own 
personal editor and shares no data with the other sessions.

To install it you have to be a wiz, if the interest continues to be 
strong maybe I'll release some sort of autoinstaller.  I just started on 
the verb editor, it's a child of the note editor.  I want to write a 
precompile reformatting verb, so when you compile it gives you perfect 
indentation.  And a command that automatically sets comments, so people 
are more apt to comment their code.  i need the comment and format 
features for myself, on moo my format sucks and my comments are nil, 
before I release this it will be commented and formatted.

I don't know too much about web, I know sometimes I can cut and paste 
from web and sometimes I can't, I guess I'll make a page that you can cut 
and paste from somehow.  Could write some sort of installation script, 
that utilizes set_verb_code and just builds the whole thing.

I have mine set to twenty editing rooms, for our MOO that's more than 
enough, this number would need to be adjusted depending on your MOO 
size.  My initial intention was to keep @notedit up and give our users 
the choice so I could see which was better, maybe put a usage ticker on 
each one to see how people like what.  But my noteditor crashed badly and 
my usual fix of resetting strmode and objects wouldn't repair it, so I 
was forced to make magedit the default text editor of the system.  With 
the verb editor and the mail room, people will have a choice of what 
editor they want, and I'll get some small guage of which is more user 
friendly.

I like coding more user friendly when possible.  But my real reason for 
taking this on, is I was sick of overwriting peoples files.  Guess we're 
the only MOO with the overwriting problem, but I've been on two different 
cores with the same problem.

In any event, now that you know what I've created, it probably isn't as 
intrigueing as it was without facts.  There is definitely enought 
interest for a web page.  If interest stays high I'll see what I can do 
about an installation script for everyone.

The reason for the script is that installation is a hack and half, there 
are two properties added to #0, you need calling verbs on #6, you need 
the verbs on the editor, you need to make the children and add them to 
the property on #0, maybe people wouldn't like properties added to #0, 
you could put it somewhere else if you want, maybe $local or someplace, 
There is also a property added to #6 for saved files when someone loses 
their connection or exits improperly.

You might want to have a couple of verbs on #56 too, to add editing rooms 
in case you run into capacity problems.

I guess I got to make the all the messages to MOO mail me if somethign 
goes wrong, set to a property," moo mail" this.bug_reporter "blah"  or 
something.

It would be a hack of an installation, I'd be hesitant to run an 
installation script that extensive.  Actually, I'm sure most would, got 
to think of a way to make it simpler.  But an editor is a big hack, it 
gets into a lot of things, don't see how to avoid that off the top of my 
head.

      John Leone
      john@GrassRootsMoo  rdz.stjohns.edu 8888
      john@rdz.stjohns.edu
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