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> But I can still have a syntax error in my condition, so on what dimensions is this a net improvement vs just... typing the code? To me this is a massive win.
by PittleyDunkin 2y ago
> But I can still have a syntax error in my condition, so on what dimensions is this a net improvement vs just... typing the code?
To me this is a massive win. Structural editing solves so many problems we face as coders. Imagine not being able to save a file with invalid syntax! Imagine if changes were defined in structural or semantic terms rather than through text! The man-hours saved are mind-boggling to even consider.
Anyway intellij + java is already pretty close to this and java syntax is certainly not LESS ugly of an interface. I really just want my editor to not allow persisting anything but a coherent program....
- andylynch 2y agoSpecifically for Java (though earlier versions were LISP) - I had the pleasure or using SeeBeyond‘ eGate , which did almost exactly this. It was a horrible, slow ordeal. IntelliJ’s structural search / editing is very powerful, but also arcane enough that few people I know actually use it.
- PittleyDunkin 2y ago> It was a horrible, slow ordeal. So is editing text. When you manage stacks of text (e.g. a VCS) text becomes even more of a nightmare.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- RestartKernel 2y agoI get what you're saying, but syntax is the least of my concerns. With a modern IDE, or even just a decent language server, I run into syntax error very, very rarely. Everything else is the hard part.