and the editor provides you with visualizations of the code file, which contains a base language, metadata and more contextual information.
The Web 2.0 of Code Editing?
Currently, and even our new tools, like OSLO, when its released, is and will be file based.
Now that in itself is fine, to keep in line with source control and other file based tools.
But our Integrated Development Environments require a better, a whole new kind of Code Editor.
I believe that we need to create what I tentatively call ActiveEditors. An ActiveEditor is one which as described above surround code snippets, understands a lot more about Context and the code we write. In order to do that, it should build a Code Tree, Abstract Syntax tree -LIKE, Object Model, separating the FILE from the Editor.
This means that we open a FILE, but view an ActiveEditor, showing a generated âviewâ of the file.
The actual file and the contents could be XML, or MSIL, but what we see (via built in CodeGen), is c# or vb. So the actual code file needs not be in a particular language.
What does this do? It provides an abstraction that creates a dynamic representation of the code file, in your language. Have a look at the picture.
The file could store c#, but it never directly puts the textual content of that file in the editor. Instead, it generates the code, from the model, built from the file, and pushes that into your editor. Based on a setting, the file could be MSIL, and your view could be C#, or any combination.
Now you could write an entire project in c#, but at anytime, switch to VB.NET, and it would never affect anything, because the compiler is compiling the actual file, not your Visual Display within your ActiveEditor that was created.
How would it help?
We could potentially store MetaData within the Code Tree, that would be excluded from viewing, although kept in the file. Your language choice and the code could still be generated as you are used to it. (think code-behind, where the sub document is the base language, which you can show/hide).
This new MetaData, would then actively describe the code so that Code Generation tools and the Editor can manipulate it for context, refactoring and other.
The next big thing? Coming to Visual Studio 10? is it too late ?
Imagine your Visual View of the code had toggle switches, to show/hide comments, show/hide regions, show/hide methods, show/hide classes - it would still be in the actual file, but not in your Visual Display. In the same way, I could switch my Visual Display to VB.NET to edit something, and then switch it to c# to edit something else. Each developer on the team can view and edit in the language of their choice, it would not matter. If a team of two was using vb.net, and then 3 more developer were brought on the team, they could continue in the same project in their own language, and it would not change anything.
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