Personalized Syntax: [was Dependence on Programming Experts]

[Rob Cozens]

Hi Geoff,

>I think the key for something like this will be when we move beyond 
>what could be described as "keyboard shortcuts," and into something 
>that can only be described as enhanced syntax, i.e. something that 
>actually changes the way you think when you program.

I might have said "lets you program the way you think" rather than 
"changes the way you think when you program".

Efforts aimed at either objective are somewhat limited, as any 
construct  created must ultimately be convertable to existing 
Revolution syntax,

But for those seeking increased productivity, something like:

[synonym table]

	wBR	the windowBoundingRect
	del2	set the itemDelimiter to
	vLDVN	veryLongDescriptiveVariableName

allows coding something like:

	vLDVN is wBR
	del2 comma
	get item 3 of vLDVN
	theHeight is it -  item 1 of vLDVN
	get item 4 of vLDVN
	theWidth is it -  item 2 of vLDVN

which expands to:

	put the windowBoundingRect into veryLongDescriptiveVariableName
	set the itemDelimiter to comma
	get item 3 of  veryLongDescriptiveVariableName
	put it -  item 1 of  veryLongDescriptiveVariableName into theHeight
	get item 4 of  veryLongDescriptiveVariableName
	put  it -  item 2 of  veryLongDescriptiveVariableName into theWidth

Brevity on input; verboseness on output.  So there, Bob Seeger: one 
can have it all after all.
-- 
Rob Cozens, Staff Conservator
Mendonoma Marine Life Conservancy
P.O. Box 217
Manchester, CA 95459-0217
(707) 895-2584

"Promoting a healthy and bountiful offshore environment."