# You dream API for a text editor **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [February 25, 2010, 9:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107 "2010-02-25T09:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrajesh)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 9:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107/1 "2010-02-25T09:24:04Z")
Hi Friends, I am doing a bit of research for a project I am helping out with - a text editor - and the following question has been asked: what would your dream API look like and be capable of? Obviously, the API will be scriptable via Ruby. I’d be very interested to hear what you guys think. Many thanks, Charles ---
**Author:** ![scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrajesh)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 9:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107/2 "2010-02-25T09:54:30Z")
Hi Charles, Jedit can be scripted in various languages. I bet they have JRuby support. Vim can be scripted in Ruby. I don’t know about Eclipse. Writing an editor is a non trivial task. And I would not ask what API do you dream of. I’d ask: Which features do you need and how to get them. Marc W. ---
**Author:** ![scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrajesh)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 10:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107/3 "2010-02-25T10:41:20Z")
Hi Mark, Thanks for the reply. On 25/02/2010 08:53, Marc W. wrote: > Jedit can be scripted in various languages. I bet they have JRuby > support. > > Vim can be scripted in Ruby. Are you saying these offer model API’s that we should take a look at? I already know Vim is a strong influence on the project. RedCar also offers scripting via Ruby. > Writing an editor is a non trivial task. Agreed. > And I would not ask what API do you dream of. > I’d ask: Which features do you need and how to get them. The features are already there - this isn’t a new editor. What we’re doing is looking at how to make the editor flexible, extensible and fun as possible without requiring folk to hack on C++. But this isn’t about the editor itself, as such, but rather about the API: what do people feel makes a great API for a text editor. Or, put another way, what are the strengths/weaknesses of other API’s, Ruby or not, you may have used. Cheers, Charles ---
**Author:** ![scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrajesh)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107/4 "2010-02-25T11:37:30Z")
On 25/02/2010 09:53, Marc W. wrote: > Good luck - I don’t think I can help you any further - I told you what > is important to me. Thanks, it’s appreciated. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrajesh)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 10:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107/5 "2010-02-25T10:53:38Z")
Hi Charles, your trying to please everyone. This is not going to work (IMHO). > **[Comparison of text editors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_text_editors)** > > This article provides basic comparisons for notable text editors. More feature details for text editors are available from the Category of text editor features and from the individual products' articles. This article may not be up-to-date or necessarily all-inclusive. > Feature comparisons are made between stable versions of software, not the upcoming versions or beta releases – and are exclusive of any add-ons, extensions or external programs (unless specified in footnotes). > This section lists ... Here is a list. You can join all mailinglists and ask people what they like and dislike. Or join their irc rooms. Eg Vim is a great editor. I’d even say perfect if it wasn’t bad at talking to external processes. (I’m going to fix this though…) Also the default Vim scripting language VimL isn’t very fast. Keep in mind that it was invented before Ruby, Python etc existed. At at that time it was very cool. > as possible without requiring folk to hack on C++. > The big question is: Why do they start hacking at all? > What features are they missing? Eg I prefer using vi keys over nice API’s because they make me productive every day. Good luck - I don’t think I can help you any further - I told you what is important to me. Marc W. ---
**Author:** ![scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@scrajesh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scrajesh)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/you-dream-api-for-a-text-editor/184107/6 "2010-02-27T00:03:01Z")
On Thursday 25 February 2010 02:23:33 am Charles R. wrote: > I am doing a bit of research for a project I am helping out with - a > text editor - and the following question has been asked: what would your > dream API look like and be capable of? Obviously, the API will be > scriptable via Ruby. First, make a low-level API. Then, join us in trying to build a “dream API” on top of that. I’m not sure what it would look like, I have no idea what it’s like to hack on a text editor. I’d say, let’s look at the capabilities you have now, build that low-level API, and document everything, then we can start to talk about how you might improve it. As for that higher-level API… You may want to brush up on some Ruby idioms. For example, Ruby tends to support the more flexible idiom of returning an object representing some sort of handle in a longer operation (like reading a file or looping over a list): file = open ‘foo’ line = file.readline file.close That’s needed in order to have full functionality, but we also expect tricks like this: open ‘foo’ do |file| file.each\_line do |line| … end end (Note: The ‘file’ variable is identical in both cases, it’s just that the loop automatically handles closing the file for us, probably ensuring it happens no matter what kind of exceptions are thrown, etc.) The same works for generating output. Look at Builder, Erector, etc, for some examples of how that can look. So without knowing your editor’s capabilities in detail, and without ever programming an editor, I don’t really know. You’ll at least want to provide a low-level API, in case people disagree with your approach, or in case someone else comes up with a better idea. But if you want a higher-level API, something that’ll blow us away, something like Hpricot but for text editors… That takes artistry.