Syntax highlighting?

Where in the User Preferences does one set syntax highlighting?  Is there a
special package I need to load?


Shaping

Shaping wrote:
> Where in the User Preferences does one set syntax highlighting?  Is there a
> special package I need to load?

D5 doesn't really allow you to do much to the syntax highlighting
although I think that will change in D6 with the replacement of the editor.

In D5 you can't change which parts of the syntax are highlighted, that
is decided by the compiler.  What you can do is change some of the
colours that are used.

Have a look at the method Compiler class>>defaultSyntaxColors.  That
shows the
default rtf code used for each of the elements the compiler
differentiates between.

You can change them by using the Compiler class>>syntaxColorAt:put:
method.  For
example, a change that some of us like to make as part of the default
image is to remove the italicizing of comments.  This is done by evaluating

Compiler syntaxColorAt: #Comment put: '\cf4 '.

You do need to know a bit about rtf format though, or be prepared to
"fiddle" around until you get the result you want :-)

--
Ian

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Thanks.  It seem odd at this advanced stage of Dolphin's development that we
are changing colors with something like Compiler syntaxColorAt: #Comment
put: '\cf4 ', which seem like a reference to a color in a standard palette.
Is this as good as it gets?  Can I use an RGB here?

I don't see why we are forced to use a RichTextEdit to get a convenient
attribute-manipulation protocol for RichText, as you demonstrated in your
earlier example.  Why aren't these protocols on the RichText itself, and not
in the Editor?  I'm thinking it terms of Text with runs of attributes, as
per the VW implementation.

Shaping


"Ian Bartholomew" <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:420fca71$0$52219$[hidden email]...

Shaping wrote:
> Thanks.  It seem odd at this advanced stage of Dolphin's development that we
> are changing colors with something like Compiler syntaxColorAt: #Comment
> put: '\cf4 ', which seem like a reference to a color in a standard palette.

They are indexes into the colour table defined further up the
#defaultSyntaxColors method and inserted in the start of each rtf
string.  So cf4 refers to the fifth colour defined (zero based) and
resolves to a RGB of 0/128/0 (i.e. a middling Green).

 > Is this as good as it gets?

Yep, the syntax highlighting has never really been updated.

 > Can I use an RGB here?

To add a new colour I imagine (i.e. I've never actually tried) you would
have to add new colours at the end of the colour table, reinitialize it
all, and then reference the new colour in the same way.

> I don't see why we are forced to use a RichTextEdit to get a convenient
> attribute-manipulation protocol for RichText, as you demonstrated in your
> earlier example.  Why aren't these protocols on the RichText itself, and not
> in the Editor?  

RichTextEdit is not just an Editor, it can be used to manipulate
RichText strings without having to have any visible components.
However, because it's a wrapper round the Windows RichEdit control it
has to be a View subclass.

RichText itself doesn't do a lot and uses a RichTextEdit to do most of
it's work.  It's really a wrapper around a wrapper :-)

> I'm thinking it terms of Text with runs of attributes, as
> per the VW implementation.

VW uses emulated widgets so it can do what it likes.  Dolphin prefers to
use OS controls so has to work in the Windows way - and using the
RichEdit interface to manage rtf strings is a lot easier than trying to
"do it yourself".

Having said all that, I do agree with you - it is a pain to use.  I've
spent some time playing around with the RichEdit interface and it's not
the easiest thing in the world to master.

--
Ian

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Mail sent to the From address is ignored.