[TxMt] How can TextMate be so popular???

[John Cromartie]

On 3/6/07, tlm <tlm1905 at gmail.com> wrote:
> In my original post I wrote that to design software to beep without
> giving the user an error message is an inexcusable bit of software
> engineering malpractice.  Sure enough, out of all the copious rebuttal
> attempts I got, not a single one even tried to excuse it, so I guess
> my assessment was correct after all.  I guess we only differ in that I
> have higher standards for software than you all, especially if I'm
> expected to pay for it.
>
> For the responder who couldn't believe that this happened, try this.
> Create a file with the .js extension, and put this into it:
>
> function foo () {
>   return {
> //     bar: function ( x ) {
>     bar: function ( x, y ) {
>       return x + y;
>     },
>   };
> }
>
> Now, put the cursor on the first line and hit F1.  BONK!  But that's
> not the bad part.  Yeah, the parser got confused and that's not great,
> but what really sucks is that TextMate gives no explanation to the
> user of what it is complaining about.  In a small file like the one
> above it is easy to guess what the problem is; but in a more realistic
> situation it's much harder to pinpoint the problem.

I think this behavior is great.  If I am hitting the "code folding"
key, and it doesn't fold, then there's obviously a syntax problem.  I
don't have to guess.  It's not a huge surprise.  I think that the
context of hitting the F1 key to fold code and getting no response is
enough information for a COMPUTER PROGRAMMER to figure out that the
parser can't figure out how to fold the current context.

Are you really that dense that you need your editor to hold your hand
as you take baby-steps through writing code?