Suppose we enable hypertext links in class comments, at least with links to other class comments or to methods. And suppose we also adopt some reasonable standard for what is covered in class comments. To get it off the ground in the net context, the idea is to intercept access to class comments in such a way that you can set your Squeak to either act normally OR to always go to a server for the text. Then Georg's server or a Wiki server will do almost everything we want. Once this is in place, we'll find Squeak reasonably documented at the system level in about a month (I'm willing to contribute fairly heavily in a couple of places), and we can fold it all into the system sources of the next release, still with the option of tracking the evolving server-based document. Then, as I wrote in my earlier message, anyone should be able to write a number of tutorial overviews that just link down into this web.
I'm willing to take a try at the hypertext links: this needn't work to get started. We also need someone to put in a mechanism to refer access to class comments optionally to a server. Then we need someone to put up and manage the Wiki server. How does this sound? – DanIngalls
A related note, October 22, 1997:
I'm taking a few days off real work to completely redo Squeak's text display. I hope to include linked paragraphs, arbitrary outlines with arbitrary occlusions, and kerning when I'm done. This will mainly be in morphic, though I'd love to retrofit the kernel just enough to excise the old code. So far, this is much smaller and simpler. – DanIngalls
More on Hypertext Links in source code
[In the forthcoming release 1.3] is an extension to Squeak's source code managment implemented by Ted Kaehler. This supports text emphasis and, most importantly, hyperlinks in code and class comments. The enhancement carries out the intent of our discussions following OOPSLA, providing a built-in framework for effective documentation of the entire system which, in turn, can serve as a substrate for any number of tutorial outer layers. 28 Dec 97. – DanIngalls
How to do hyperlinks in class comment (actually in any text string)?
Let's say you want to link to the class comment of Morph.
You just select the word 'Morph' and type ALT-6.
From the menu you choose 'Link to comment of class' and voila - you have your link.
To link the initialize method of Morph you type
Morph initialize
select it
type ALT-6
and choose 'Link to method'
If you want to link to the class method newBounds: you type
Morph class newBounds: color
select it -> ALT 6 and choose 'Link to method'
There are even more possibilites.
(Excerpt from and email sent to squeak-dev by Hannes Hirzel)
