[clean-list] Re: Refactoring Clean Applications

Richard A. O'Keefe ok@atlas.otago.ac.nz
Wed, 9 May 2001 11:47:41 +1200 (NZST)


Erik Zuurbier <EZuurbier@Abz.nl> wrote:
	Not a word about keeping project files, definition files,
	implementation files, file paths and import statements in sync.
	If the quote above is generally true of CVS, I guess CVS cannot
	help me do this and help me keep an overview of my project,
	generate a call graph, etc.
	
	So should CVS be extended with such features, or should the IDE?
	
No, CVS should not be extended with such features.  That would make it
unusable by people whose programming language it does not yet support.
If you've ever wanted to use the UNIX 'cscope' program on a Pascal
program, you'll know what I mean.

Take a look at the Ciao system at http://www.research.att.com.
They have a data base, a query engine, and a graphic browser (with the
ability to automatically lay graphs out) which they have adapted to
C, C++, Java, HTML, ksh, and a couple of other things.  It looks as
though if you had a Clean parser, you could generate data base records
quite easily, and then you'd have a powerful analysis kit for Clean.

They have a _lot_ of great stuff there.  It's not Open Source, and for
some of it only binaries are available, but it is free for non-commercial
use.