[IPython-dev] Close to giving up (was: Re: Synchronization with Editor)

[Vivian De Smedt]

Hi Heinz,

Thanks for your technical feedback.

Here are my answer to the three points I have isolated in your mails. 
Tell me if I have missed one.
> * IMO hooks.synchronize_with_editor should be merged with
>   hooks.fix_error_editor.
>   
I suspect IPython to assume that when fix_error_editor hook will return 
the error will be fixed.

So that hook should be synchronous. It should give back the hand to the 
editor and wait that the user validate the changes by closing the editor 
or sending a signal (e.g. emacs).

The synchronize_with_editor hook don't have to be synchronous. It has to 
synchronize the editor with IPython, opening the script file at the 
right line, and return (no user input needed).

So if we merge both hooks I think we should at least add a parameter to 
tell what should be the action of the hook:
 - synchronize and wait for validation before returning or
 - synchronize only and return.

With the multi tab editor or multi buffer editor the first kind of hooks 
are not so easy to write. You don't want to quit the editor at the end 
of the edition and you have no built in way to signal that you have 
finish with the edition of a particular file opened in the editor (emacs 
is the exception).
> * I think the win32 imports should be wrapped in a conditional block 
>   for *nix users to benefit from this.
>   
About the unix version I'll be glad to improve the code to support them 
what I think should be improved is the following:
- The .exe extention should be removed (I just remove them)
 - The name of the executables should be checked (scite, emacsclient, 
gvim, ...)
 - We should provide alternative for runCommand, sleep and 
restoreConsoleFocus

Unfortunately I have no access to a linux box to test possible 
alternatives. If someone could propose something I'll be glad to 
incorporate it into the ip_synchronize_width.py propositions of hooks.

> * Nearly the same code can be used for XEmacs/gnuserv (using gnuclient instead 
>   of gvim as command).
>   
In the emacs version of the hook I have implemented something based on 
emacsclient that seems to works well for emacs at least on the win32 
platform.

Tell me what you think.

Did you had a chance to test the hooks for some editor. Did you find it 
useful or handy?

Kindest regards,
Vivian.