The introduction of Pantograph, a novel structure editor that enables direct manipulation of typed syntax trees, has ignited a fascinating discussion within the developer community about the future of code editing. While traditional editors rely on text parsing followed by type checking, Pantograph's approach represents a significant departure from conventional coding practices.
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| The READMEmd file for Pantograph, illustrating its functionalities and features as a structure editor |
Direct Tree Manipulation vs. Traditional Text Editing
The community's response to Pantograph reveals a clear divide between those embracing structured editing and those preferring traditional text-based approaches. Some developers express enthusiasm for the evolution toward structure-aware editing, noting how tools like formatters and LSPs are already moving in this direction. However, others raise concerns about the potential limitations of structured editing:
I want to be able to find and replace with regexes, drop a cursor onto every line and just start typing... I don't think I could get used to this. And I don't think I care if my code is momentarily uncompilable.
Practical Applications and Use Cases
Developers have identified several potential applications for Pantograph-like editors. Some suggest it could work well as a complementary tool, similar to WYSIWYG HTML editors with split-screen capabilities. The ability to perform powerful transformations and spot errors during refactoring tasks is seen as particularly valuable, though concerns persist about the efficiency of creating new code in such an environment.
Type System Integration and Performance
A critical point of discussion centers on the integration with type systems and performance implications. While Pantograph's current implementation supports a simply-typed SML-like language, the community shows particular interest in how it might handle more complex type systems like typeclasses and regions. Performance concerns, especially regarding type checking delays, emerge as a crucial consideration for practical adoption.
Future Development and Integration
The development team is actively working on extending the system to support more advanced type systems and languages. While the current implementation demonstrates the concept effectively, the community discussion highlights the need for streamlined language implementation processes and better abstractions to make the system more practical for real-world applications.
In conclusion, while Pantograph represents an innovative approach to code editing that aligns with some current trends in development tools, the community's mixed response suggests that such structured editors may need to find the right balance between power and flexibility to gain widespread adoption.
Reference: Pantograph