Message parameters

[Troy Rollins]

I'm not overly thrilled with the format of "send" (including "send in 
time"), especially when there is a parameter list.

It seems that the parameter list gets evaluated, even if it is sent as 
a string... and of course, in the case of "synonym keywords" they don't 
get colorized since the have quotes next to them. For instance the 
message -

send "startFileOperation Directory" to myFileManager in 0

Which does not colorize "Directory" because of the quotes AND

ends up arriving at the actual handler as -

on startFileOperation myParameter
PUT myParameter
end startFileOperation

-- Puts myHardDisk/myHomeFolder/ (etc.)

Because "Directory" is a synonym keyword for "the defaultFolder".

With all the synonyms, we won't be able to use any english terms at all 
in Transcript. Personally, I'd love to disable ALL synonyms, all "only 
included for compatibility withs", ALL "does nothing except keep 10 
year old hypercard scripts from breaking" in ALL parts of the IDE. (As 
a preference option, of course.) That stuff doubles the size of the 
language, generally doesn't get colorized, and is a waiting trap for 
people who like (or in my case, need) to pass some of them as 
parameters.

I guess I'm used to literal strings which are quoted, not getting 
arbitrarily evaluated by the engine. Does anyone have a recommended way 
to pass strings as parameters to avoid the obviously powerful string 
manipulation engine which is Transcript from grabbing them and deciding 
to make something else out of them?

I've put a workaround in place, but it is stupid, and should not be 
required, IMHO.

--
Troy
RPSystems, Ltd.
http://www.rpsystems.net