Hello John,
I wanted to add that web browser-based IDE may be a better decision in
the long term.
I have a basic “colouring” system for Felix based on CodeWarrior.
It can also do folding etc.
However such an editor is a LONG way from a what a basic editor
can do … I never use IDE’s but obviously a good IDE is a long way
from a basic editor.
Browser based IDE has two problems.
The core problem is that it cannot save files. This means a browser
based idea is impossible in principle and in practice. It cannot
be done, end of story 
Yes, right. A browser-based IDE can nevertheless make use of some
locally-hosted webserver via WebSockets.
(We recently used this trick to interact with an RFID reader, it works
fine if you use something other than IE < 9. Also, in this particular
case, the application is much easier to package and distribute/fix,
than a full-blown desktop Windows application.)
So now, we have to change our tune. We need SERVER based IDE
with a custom web server which happens to use a browser as a front end.
I have such a thing, in primitive form. The browser says POST and the
server does SAVE. (Roughly … you get the idea I hope).
Note a problem already: sure, the browser code runs on all
compliant browsers (good), but it only works connected to
a compliant server. Mine is written in Felix which generates C++.
I would hate to have to write the server code in rubbish like PHP.
OK, so now we come to the second problem.
LAG. To do anything, integration operations, such as hyperlinking
a symbol to its definition in another file, must be done on the server.
We don’t want to do such difficult things in Javascript!
So now, whenever you type a character things can change.
In Emacs or Vim, or Desktop IDE, the changes can propagate
more or less instantly.
Until Google et al get WebSockets running, there’s no way we can
do that efficiently on a desktop using a server model supported by
HTTP, let alone HTTPS to a remote server.
It’s true, I have a good IDE in my browser already … Firebug. But it’s
an IDE for Javascript, and for the code actually running in the browser.
Much as I think it is a horrible badly written piece of junk … the
best IDE inexistence is already available for ATS.
Its called BASH.
–
john skaller
ska...@users.sourceforge.net
http://felix-lang.org
Cheers,
Artyom Shalkhakov
I would certainly like to see another party come
