Errors&Wishes

[kuehne@pi.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Thomas Kuehne)]

First a hint for all who use annotations and did not find a way
to get rid of the error:

** toplevel : undefined escape : (not_found ...)

without loading some file by hand into the Lisp environment.

In my LANGUAGE.env file i use loadfile to load the file 
containing the new_decor function:

(de {SLOTOS}:new_decor (name)
    (lock (lambda (tag val)
              (cond
                  ((eq tag 'not_found)
                      ({tree}:new_decor
                          name 'tree ({name}:formalism 'SLOTOS)))
                  (tag (exit tag val))
                  (t val)))
        ({name}:decor name 'tree ({name}:formalism 'SLOTOS)))
)

If one places the call to that function simply in the LANGUAGE.env
files one will get the error message.
I put it into the {LANGUAGE}:set-environment function which is called
when loading a LANGUAGE file into a ctedit, that contained something
different before.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Errors and wishes for:

METAL

It would be nice if it were possible to 'USE' other languages
like in TYPOL. This would allow more precise mixing of languages
than is possible with 'implemented as TREE'.

It is too bad that the METAL ctedit does not offer a pop-up menu
to select one of its functions.


TYPOL

Choosing 'Write Code' results in writing an empty .pg file
if one did not 'Type-Check'ed and 'Compile'ed before.
Instead of this it should initiate 'Type Check' and 'Compile'
(maybe in the last mode (Normal, Concurrent, Debug) used) one
after another. This would allow 'one button' recompilation.


TYPOL DEBBUGER

Very often it does not suffices to 'Delete' a module with the
TYPOL DEBUGGER menu. Without an additional prolog:restore the
old version will be used.

My Breakpoints do not work. TYPOL execution becomes inacceptably
slow but will not stop at the specified points!?
Sometimes it is confusing the way proofing subgoals is presented.
For example the rule:

A &
B
---
C

When A has been proofed the DEBUGGER !jumps! to 'TRY' proofing B.
If one has several subgoals to proof and did not name all the rules
one easily loose the context of the current rule.
A (probably not realizable) solution might be to step back to the
'parent rule' when a subgoal has been prooven and highlight the
next subgoal to be proofed. After a 'STEP' or 'PROOVE' execution
continues at the next subgoal. This also would allow to skip
some subgoals and some others not.

In order to 'send' and 'get' annotations to treenodes i used the
subject as the path for the annotation. I had to use the
withsubject construct to avoid loosing the subject for this purpose.
I could get rid of it it were possible to identify 'this_rule' or
'this_abstract_syntax_tree_node'. This would serve as a path to
'getannot' or 'sendannot' and one would not have to bother with
keeping the subject.


CTEDIT

The scrolling of a ctedit in entities of pixel is not very useful.
The scroll bar should adapt in size corresponing to the percentage of
text shown in the window relative to the whole text.

One very convienent feature will be a 'ReRead' Button to allow loading
the same file again into the ctedit. (I use xemacs as a editor and
changes made in xemacs must be forwarded to the ctedit. For often
used file pathes i cut them first and paste them into the 'Read file' box
but ReReading would be easier)

With a certain PPML definition i was presented the message:

*** funcall undefined function #:box:normal


CENTAUR

It should be possible to specify whether a #:prolog:send
or a #:prolog:quietsend is generated in the LANGUAGE.ll 
file by the export clause in a TYPOL program.

Sometimes i wish the files i produced were seperated from
the files generated by centaur. In other words centaur
should use a directory located at the position of my files
to put in all the files it needs.

It would be nicer to have several semantics directories located
at the position of the syntax definition for the specific 
language. Currently one has to use one large semantics
directory for all languages that relate to eachother
in order to use the import mechanism.


DREAMS:

TYPOL Project Manager, recompiles files that changed and all
                       files that depend on changed files.

Electronic Retrieval System for Centaur, like man for UNIX.
Will allow faster (interactive) access than the conventional (big) manual.

Faster Garbarge Collection, everything but collecting the garbarge runs
at acceptable speed.


	- Thomas -