Specifying and generating program editors with novel visual editing mechanisms
Michael Read, Chris D. Marlin · 1998
Language specific program editors have an unenviable reputation; they are generally regarded as not having fulfilled the potential that they appear to offer. On the other hand, editing mechanisms such as direct manipulation have been very effective in other editing contexts, such as in drawing editors. It may be that these kinds of editing mechanisms would be effective in program editors, but it is most unclear what form useful mechanisms would take. The ability to generate prototype program editors that incorporate novel editing mechanisms, such as direct manipulation, from a description of the desired editing mechanisms (along with other information, including that describing the programming language) would greatly facilitate the empirical studies necessary to evaluate and refine these editing mechanisms. This paper describes an approach to the generation of program editors that incorporate novel editing mechanisms such as direct manipulation. The technique employed to describe the e...