[Pythonmac-SIG] Python IDE and syntax coloring

Joseph J. Strout joe@strout.net
Wed, 9 Jun 1999 10:16:53 -0700


At 9:39 AM -0700 06/09/99, Pieter Claerhout wrote:

>is there anyone who already figured out how to handle syntax coloring inside
>the Python IDE. That would be very handy (for newbies like me). Maybe this
>is something I have to ask directly to Just, because he's the author of the
>IDE.

Here's the scoop.  The IDE has syntax coloring already, but it's disabled.
I helped Just develop it somewhat, and now it's very good, except that
sometimes it gets confused when multi-line strings are involved.  (You can
create these either with triple-quotes, or by using the continuation
character at the end of a line.)  That means that now and then you have to
hit command-1 (or whatever) to fix the coloring.

Just thinks that this problem is big enough that he should leave syntax
coloring disabled.  I disagree, but I'm only one person.  What do you
think?  Would you rather have syntax coloring that occasionally gets
confused in unusual cases, or no syntax coloring at all?  Tell Just what
you think!

(Note that if the next release doesn't include syntax coloring, or if the
next release doesn't appear at all in the next week or two, and you want
it, I'll prepare a patch to the IDE that will enable it for you.  But of
course I'd rather avoid that route if possible.)

Cheers,
-- Joe
,------------------------------------------------------------------.
|    Joseph J. Strout           Biocomputing -- The Salk Institute |
|    joe@strout.net             http://www.strout.net              |
`------------------------------------------------------------------'