[plt-scheme] Emacs tags for MzScheme modules

--- Robert Bruce Findler <robby at cs.uchicago.edu>
wrote:
> Built into DrScheme is a module browser and check
> syntax -- they don't 
> do exactly what etags does, but they serve a similar
> kind of need. Two 
> things to try:
> 
>   - when you're visiting the "main" file of some
> project, under the show 
> menu, choose "show mdoule browser" and you'll the
> module dag on your 
> right.

Yes, the module browser is kinda neat. In fact, I
think that a lot of things that you guys have done
with DrScheme are really cool and I DO use it too.
However, in this particular case, module browser
doesn't do what I want - which is provide me with
direct access to a scheme definition. 

I program primarily in C, Java and CL. In each
language, I have editor support to help me locate
source definitions. For C code, I generally use
SlickEdit which has dynamic (as well as static)
tagging capabilities. For Java, I use an Eclipse-based
editor which does automatic "tagging". For CL, I use
Emacs with either ILISP or ELI (depending on the CL
implementation). Both ILISP and ELI allow you to
interrogate the lisp implementation for the location
of source or (alternatively) use tag files. 

I started trying to learn MzScheme about a year ago
when I was trying to teach programming to my daughter
with HTDP. My Scheme studies ended with the beginning
of her school year and I have only recently decided to
study Scheme again in earnest. 

When I learn a language, in addition to reading books,
I like to read code to understand the idioms in the
language. Having the ability to easily jump to the
source of a definition is (I feel) critical in reading
code. That was why I asked Eli whether I was going
about this in the wrong way and whether there were
other means that people were using to locate
definitions that didn't require the use of tag files.
I find it hard to believe that I am the only one who
would like to quickly jump to a scheme source
definition from within an editor (either DrScheme or
Emacs). 

Thanks for your suggestions.

--
Bill Clementson

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