[TextMate] (no subject)

[marc]

On 07/10/2004, at 1:54 AM, Justin French wrote:

> On 06/10/2004, at 10:14 PM, timothy martens wrote:
>
>> Any plans for XHTML/CSS code hinting?
>>
>> And what about browser previews other than the built in safari 
>> rendering?
>
> The thing is, TM is not just about HTML... a lot of people will never 
> use it for web design.  TM tries to put you in control, and bend the 
> editors features into something that works for you.  The Safari idea 
> was something I proposed to Allan, and it's just a command bundled 
> with TM... in theory, any browser that supported Apple Script could 
> use a similar command.

Yeah, I really understand the flexibility this approach offers -- with 
a strong community lots of useful plugins could be available, a chance 
for an 'Extras' page on the site? -- but reliance on this sort of 
'flat' extensibility can also lead to a reduction in usability; these 
useful add-on features get lost in a mile long, single hierarchy, 
nested menu.

Manual grouping would be the first request, there might be an opening 
for some sort of 'Snippet' 'Macro' browser, or even a filter 
search/auto-complete/CLI invocation (e.g. LaunchBar/Quicksilver.)

> In short, write your own, and ask for help if you need it :)

Yeah, I am, but that's going to take a while... at the moment it looks 
like I will have to do double the work:

1. define Snippets for pseudo-autocomplete (on steroids) for new tags
2. record Macros to convert/wrap existing text with tags

Now, may it can be argued that '2' is somewhat redundant, or that it's 
only really necessary for bigger ticket items, like tables, but what if 
Snippets simply added support for a 'Selection' variable, along with 
it's tab stops, so that Snippets could also be run over a selection, 
conveniently making '2' completely redundant, and extending the power 
of Snippets.

>> Also, can we just have the project drawer show up by default. There's 
>> hardly ever an instance where I wouldn't need/want it in view.
>
> It's coming in a future version, AFAIK...

That's good to know.  : )


marc