[Info-vax] source control and semantics (Re: Why so much Unix envy?)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2014-09-13 16:01:17 +0000, johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk said:

> So is there a way forward for modern software development on VMS then?
> ...
> Anything else? What works well already, if anything? What else might be 
> interesting for VSI or others (including "the community") to work on?

Near term?  Not really.

Presently, there are eCube NXTware Remote (which is Eclipse-based 
AFAIK) and Distributed NetBeans, or restarting the X or character cell 
versions of LSEDIT, or rolling something new.

All three existing products are competent and functional IDE products, 
and will suit the needs of various folks doing development on VMS.

Locally (and not having spent the time necessary to improve my 
familiarity with NXTware Remote or with Distributed NetBeans), I've 
usually found direct character-cell access preferable for my own 
development work, though longer-term I'd prefer something closer to 
Apple's Xcode.

Apple's Xcode is the fastest IDE that I've encountered.    Xcode is 
also very flexible, and provides features well past the classic 
compile-link-run-debug sequences.  Having your code compiled while you 
type it into the editor initially seems weird and somewhat wasteful, 
but it's become one of my favorite features.  This feature pushes the 
bug-finding forward right into the editing session.

Targeting an IDE like Xcode for VMS — with any of the existing tools — 
would involve an investment in LLVM/Clang to add the continuous 
compilation structures, and then (depending on the tool and the target) 
adding source code refactoring support, prescient code completion, 
syntax highlighting, integration with DVCS systems, and a whole lot of 
design and development work in general.  Xcode is also running either 
locally, or using a local OS X Server as a build engine and for 
build-related automation.  (Some of the tools already have some of 
these features.)

The development tools are one of many places where VSI can choose to 
invest, if they don't decide to partner with eCube or with some other 
vendor.


-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC