[racket] Metadata idea

Second thought - to avoid any special system definitions, you could achieve
the same results as follows...

(define meta '((tooltip "This is a tooltip"); plain text
              (manual (fetch-manual-chapter 'object-x)); Rich-text format
              (self-test 'object-x); associated test cases to assure
               ...                  ; bugfree and compatible updates
               ))

Then the helpers could do all the work needed.

br, jukka


> -----Original Message-----
> From: users-bounces at racket-lang.org
> [mailto:users-bounces at racket-lang.org]On Behalf Of Jukka Tuominen
> Sent: 31 March 2011 14:03
> To: users at racket-lang.org
> Subject: [racket] Metadata idea
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I've been thinking of adding the following metadata 'feature' to
> Liitin, but
> I wonder if this could be of more generic use. What do you think about the
> idea?
>
> (meta ((tooltip "This is a tooltip"); plain text
>        (manual (fetch-manual-chapter 'object-x)); Rich-text format
>        (self-test 'object-x); associated test cases to assure
>        ...                  ; bugfree and compatible updates
>        ))
>
> e.g.
>
> (define (function-x args)
>   (define ...)
>   (meta ( ()()() ) )
>   (begin ...))
>
> Helpers:
> (meta-exist? object-source meta-type) >> true/false
> (get-meta object-source meta-type) >> meta-content
> (put-meta! object-source meta-type meta-content) >> modified object source
>
> - Object-source can be either provided as source code or as a reference
>   where to fetch it (incl. comments, formatting etc.)
>
>
> Features/ reasoning:
> - Object internal metadata information.
> - Self-contained, not requiring a special infrastructure.
> - Return actual metadata content rather than human navigated link.
> - Can refer to external objects to keep the main object compact,
>   and allow separate development for each metadata.
> - Could return localized versions (up to metadata provider).
> - Applications can utilize the metadata on-the-spot, without opening
>   external viewers or requiring human interaction (e.g. displaying tooltip
>   when hovering on top of a function, or offering extra functionality on
>   context menu).
> - 'define' level declaration.
> - Different object versions/variants are free to use common metadata.
>
> br, jukka
>
>
> |  J U K K A   T U O M I N E N
> |  m a n a g i n g   d i r e c t o r  M. A.
> |
> |  Finndesign  Kauppiaankatu 13, FI-00160 Helsinki, Finland
> |  mobile +358 50 5666290
> |  jukka.tuominen at finndesign.fi  www.finndesign.fi
>
>
>
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