[TxMt] Re: "File->New From Template" shell script "issue"...

[John Wiederhirn]

Allan Odgaard-4 wrote:
> 
> I think template commands already do too much (that TextMate should  
> do), so having them resolve the conflict is clumsy.
> 

I definitely agree, but unfortunately it's fairly easy to wind up with an
"untitled.h" in your temp directory that then subsequently blocks all
further generation of C/C++/Obj-C templates of any kind.  The issue isn't
tied to multi-file templates either, even single-file templates that check
for file existence can trigger this problem.


Allan Odgaard-4 wrote:
> 
> Problem with this is that several templates use the file name in the  
> template, so using an (ugly) unique name would leak into the  
> instantiated template (rather than just have the default class, HTML  
> title, etc.) be ‘untitled’.
> 
> To be honest templates are pretty lousy and it is something I have  
> previously said would be completely revamped in 2.0, the current  
> system is broken and it needs to be retired and reinvented/unified  
> with snippets, so it is not really an area I am eager to “fix” for 1.x  
> (even if 2.0 is not here yet).
> 

The problem, as you mention, is that what we have is broken.  I'd certainly
like to see a more orthogonal system in 2.0, but I still have to get work
done in 1.x.  It's not really different from any other bug in that regard,
is it?  Template support is a feature of 1.x (even if suboptimal), so
shouldn't it at least work?

The crux of this issue isn't about how templates work, anyway.  It's about
whether new file generators should always use a "real" (thus unique)
filename.  The proposed "create file and insert template snippet" approach
you've mentioned for 2.0 will face this same issue, so long as creating a
file from the project prompts the user for a filename, and file->'new from
template' does not.

The way Slickedit (as good a reference as any) handles this is to always
prompt the user for a file name when creating a file, from whatever UI
element triggers it.  I'm kind of partial to that solution as well, because
it prevents noisy temporary names from polluting
templates/snipplates/whatever that might want to use the basename.  Putting
up a name request dialog also gives a place to let the user select a
language mode during creation, which shortens the user process to create an
arbitrary file (e.g. File->New) and set mode.

In any case, I hope I've made my point.  I don't see this as an issue with
1.x templates in particular, it seems more like a general new file
generation issue, and any solution can carry over into 2.0's code as well.





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