ICQ Meeting on macro/scenario stuff vs. code structure; JimC, Blade Runner, you in?

[Blade Runner]

Mca,

LOL, about myself.

Of course I mean Declare.

Blade

[mca]

[mca10]

Aha!

But I'm still not quite sure what you mean with users can't mix the two styles. Can you give an example?

Martin
[This message has been edited by mca (edited September 04, 1999).]

[Blade Runner]

Blade
Re: Mca

File 1:

//here start
Variable
One;
Two;
N;
VariableEnd;

SomeRutin(...){
One = 156;
To = 4455; // Error message: non declared variable To
N = One + Two;
}
// End of file

File 2:

//here start
SomeRutin(...){
One = 156;
To = 4455;
N = One + Two; // Error message: non defined variable Two
}
// End of file

I mean: If the system find the Variable keyword than ALL the variables in ALL the rutins inside one modul must Declared before use.

(I think we can enable for the users to mix the modul types (declared, defined) because there will be different people who use the system with different background and ideas. I like to use declared variables, somehow the whole program is more readible for me.)

Blade



[This message has been edited by Blade Runner (edited September 04, 1999).]

[mca]

OIC! In the first example, allowing mixed styles would cause no error. Unless you require variables that were declared to also have been assigned a value (defined) before allowing their use.

Martin

[Blade Runner]

Re: Me, Mca, JimC,

Thuesday I'll post my modified version of the macro language. Let say I'll wait a couple of days, and if there will be no comment or ask for modification I'll start to write the tokenizer and parser part of the interpreter probably after the next weekend.

Is that OK?

Blade

(Here is 11.10 PM so I go to sleep. Tomorrow I'll check the thread and I'll write the answers for the questions if any.)

[Blade Runner]

Mca,

To enable the mix use for the users is possible but IMHO wrong way. I understand your point. There are more people who will write one or maybe two not built-in variable in a short and dirty rutin. They neednt any exact declaration. On the other side a pesrson who will write 3-5 Kb source file for his/her scenario will be happy with the automatic variable check from the interpreter. So I think I'll enable both of the style, but not mix in one modul. If somebody just start to typing his/her idea and wouldnt like to use the variable/constant declaration part, OK. IMO mix the two style in one modul will be a complette code mess, so I dont support this.

Thankx for the ideas,

Blade

[mca]

Blade,

No problem, I'm glad that there will be more than one way to do things. I see your point, too, and I would typically support even type declarations and strong typing for anything but scripting, which tends (and sometimes needs?) to be too quick and dirty to bother with explicit declarations, types, and such.

Glad to be of service,

Martin
[This message has been edited by mca (edited September 04, 1999).]

[Mark_Everson]

Blade Runner:

Yes, your approach sounds good. But you will embarass us by having the macro language done Long before there's anything for it to operate on .

Blade Runner, mca, JimC:

Thanks for coming to the meeting and GREAT Job. We have 'seen the taillights' on one big issue.


Others: If you don't register any objections within the next day or so, say 18:00 EST Sunday Sept. 5th, our decisions from this meeting will be considered Locked In. Speak now or never

For a summary of conclusions look at the post labelled me6 on page 1, and up to about 10 posts thereafter.

-Mark
[This message has been edited by Mark_Everson (edited September 04, 1999).]

[Mark_Everson]

Agenda for meeting:

Discuss what the macro language needs to be able to do. Make sure we really need one! If we go to an off-line editing program for Clash save files, we probably will still need a macro language, even though the user may never see it.

Whether we go with a user-accessible macro language, or can do it all in some sort of off-line editing program, we need a good way for that system to interface with the core Java code. What is the best way to do that? Making the core code a set of job of beans has been suggested as one alternative.

Other agenda items?

I suggest that we all start our posts with an initial and number, so others can reference them easily. Since mca and I share and have met the start, I will use me1 for my first post.

Warning: I am using my voice dictation software to post my parts of this discussion. Weird typos may exist. If something non-dramatic goal shows up, try inserting a word that sounds the same!

me1:

Start of discussion:

I feel that an off-line editor will be the preferred way for most scenario designers to set up their variations. If we can also give the off-line editor some simple logic and loop capability, perhaps we don't need a macro language at all.