Re: [q-lang-users] H/M-based typing for Q

[Albert G. <Dr....@t-...>]

Eddie Rucker wrote:
> I think that adding the type system as described is an improvement if a
> native code compiler is constructed. But even better, if this could be
> combined with an editor, errors could be caught during the coding process
> whether a native code compiler was ever constructed or not. I can imagine
> hitting enter after banging in an equation and emacs (or whatever) beeps
> at me and tells me there is a type error. Incremental compiling and type
> inference = cool!

Actually, Q could be compiled incrementally, but this most likely also
requires a syntax-directed or syntax-assisted editor as the frontend.
These things have been done before (like, e.g., the famous Cornell
Synthesizer Generator, or the M2SDS system for Modula-2), but have
largely failed in the market-place because these editors are not easy to
implement and fairly awkward to use compared to plain text editors. I
don't think they're really worth the hassle. For daily programming, a
plain text editor integrated with a fast compiler, which allows you to
flag errors in the text after pressing a "Compile" key, is more
convenient in most cases. (Emacs Q mode already allows you to do this.
It's certainly the quickest way to edit and run Q scripts, I use it all
the time. It could still be improved in some ways, though.)

Albert

-- 
Dr. Albert Gr"af
Dept. of Music-Informatics, University of Mainz, Germany
Email:  Dr....@t-..., ag...@mu...
WWW:    http://www.musikinformatik.uni-mainz.de/ag