Alan Kay wrote:
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"I think that class comments should come up automatically (perhaps in a
separate pane) when the class level is reached in the browser. I don't think
it helps very much to have it entangled with the instance/class view
distinction. I generally want to keep on reading them (especially if class
comments were more like real documentation) while perusing the methods,
etc."
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Good point Alan.  I agree with this idea (although I believe there are real
estate issues to contend with).

I have often thought about a browser with configurable panes (you could
show/hide them in order to maximize real estate in the edit pane).  Or,
perhaps by putting the comment into a pullout flap on the browser (a flap
tab), you could accomplish this goal.  Opening and closing a flap would not
require the browser to change its "edit pane", and thus you could
browse/edit the comment while you are editing a method, etc.  It might also
be nice to put the class definition into a flap tab too -- I have often
wanted to change the instance/class variables on a class while I am in the
midst of editing one of its methods.

Another nice idea might be to provide a way for the user to view the
superclass and subclass comments without leaving the class you are
editing/viewing.  Maybe these additional comments could live in tabs too, or
the "class comment" tab could have a next/prev buttons on it that switch the
comment displayed to the superclass(es) and subclass(es) comments.

One final thought on comments:  Packages should have them too.  It would be
super cool if a package comment could direct us to the most important
(public) class(es) in itself.  In a game package, you might find many
classes, but only one that can be used to start the game.

Cheers!

---==> Chris