[BUG] MVC System Browser Problems

Scott Wallace Scott.Wallace at disney.com
Fri Oct 29 01:47:15 UTC 1999


Take a look at the morphic development environment on Squeak 2.7 alpha.  You'll find that all the problems mentioned in this thread, and many other related problems as well, are fixed.  

Browsers, message-lists, versions-browsers, etc., all now keep themselves up to date automatically.   They feel changes made elsewhere -- anywhere (even via file-in or code update, even in other projects) -- and update themselves to be compatible with the latest state of affairs.  Both active and inactive windows have this self-updating property, and both the contents of list panes and the contents of code panes are affected.  Even the pernicious case where you have unsubmitted code edits for a method in one window, but then the method subsequently gets changed elsewhere, is addressed.

Similarly, inspectors update themselves, even reformulating the instance-variable list if the class structure of the inspectee changes.

Some of these 2.7 alpha "smart updating" improvements also benefit the mvc user -- e.g., an mvc "versions browser" now updates nicely when you revert a method within it, and also whenever you reactivate its window.  It wouldn't be hard to bring the remaining improvements across to the mvc environment.

See the preambles for updates 1563 and 1564 for more detailed information on this work.

For a strong effect try this out in 2.7 alpha: set the "optional morphic buttons" and "use annotation panes" preferences to true, then ask to "browse recent submissions" (in the 'changes' menu, or via the button in the Squeak flap), and then proceed to work in your usual fashion.  The recent-submissions browser will continuously track all subsequent changes, providing a handy audit trail and an easy way to examine and revisit your recent working set.  If you have the "diffs" button set, you will additionally see exactly what was changed in each method.

Once you get used to these congenial new services, you'll soon enough forget the bad old days.

  -- Scott

PS:  If you do update to 2.7 alpha to try out the improved tools, be aware that pre-existing browsers, inspectors, etc., will *not* have the smart-updating behavior.  Only windows launched after you've updated at least through #1564 will have it.

PPS:  The problems people have been mentioning have all been present in Squeak since the birth of Squeak, and they have been present in both the mvc and the morphic environments, and indeed they have been continuously present in every system in Squeak's ancestral blood-line dating back to the advent of browsers and inspectors around 25 years ago.





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