Re: Emacs learning curve

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

David Engster writes:

 > As you know, a language mode consists of different things. For instance
 > font locking, indentation, accessing some kind of documentation, or
 > communication with an interpreter. CEDET doesn't really immediately have
 > much to do with those, although font locking could probably profit from
 > a semantic parser and semantic tags can also contain documentation;
 > indentation is entirely another beast, though.
 > 
 > I think all that was said was that CEDET can provide stuff like semantic
 > parsing, project support and template generation under a general
 > framework, so that other tools (like ECB) can use that information, and
 > therefore it might be possible to unify those areas of a language mode.

Maybe that's all that was intended to be said, but the requirement was
for a unifying framework *now*, and it was claimed that CEDET fits the
bill.  According to the description above, it does not.  Instead, it
adds yet another set of semantics for overlaying on a text buffer.  It
does not unify the existing sets (syntax highlighting, grinding, MMM
for mixed-language files, maybe others like project membership), and
it hasn't even been demonstrated that it *can*.

That is in no way a criticism of the CEDET package itself.  Just a
statement that in the current state it seems to be completely
independent of the stated requirement for a seamless integration of
all the different aspects of language modes, and a unified UI across
language modes.

Note that I won't be satisfied with a statement that CEDET "could" be
extended in those directions.  I see those possibilities, too, but
there's no concrete proposal on the table.  I also see a possibility
that a completely new unifying framework might be proposed, and then
CEDET would be require to adapt itself to that.  IMO, if CEDET wants
to claim to be part of the solution, it needs to make a proposal for
such extensions and how the other aspects of language processing
should be incorporated in the framework.  Otherwise, it's a great
feature for Emacs, but not a unifying framework.

I wouldn't be surprised if the above statement represents the general
feeling of developers, but I don't claim it does. ;-)