[plt-scheme] stepper interface suggestion for "start-from-here"?

From: Carl Eastlund (carl.eastlund at gmail.com)
Date: Fri Apr 10 21:40:49 EDT 2009

On Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 8:52 PM, John Clements
<clements at brinckerhoff.org> wrote:
> A few weeks ago Jay McCarthy suggested a feature for the stepper that was so
> obvious that I had to implement it (also, I have a sneaking suspicion that
> others must have suggested it): starting to step at a specified expression,
> rather than from the beginning.  As I expected, it wasn't too hard, except
> for this one problem: how should it be enabled?  Here's what I've been able
> to come up with:
>
> 1) It's always enabled: the stepper starts from wherever the cursor is (or
> the beginning of the selection)
> 2) It's a menu entry in the "Scheme" Menu.
> 3) Clicking on the stepper button always brings up a dialog.
> 4) It's a preference.
> 5) You right-click on a selected expression.
>
> Choices 1 & 3 seem too intrusive.  Choices 2,4, and 5 seem not intrusive
> enough (a.k.a. they'll never be discovered).  Any other suggestions?

How about giving the stepper a "jump to selected expression" button?
It's obvious, but you don't have to use it; if you want to use it, you
just select something in the definitions window and press the button.
You could even add the right-click option to go straight from
definitions to specific-stepper, and a note when clicking the "jump to
selected expression" button that explains about right-clicking.

-- 
Carl Eastlund


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