[Info-vax] Modern software development for VMS

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2014-09-14 22:09:43 +0000, David Froble said:

> What I cannot understand, and I admit I've never seen such tools, is 
> what can they do for me when I'm developing in BASIC for a VMS 
> environment on my VMS environment.

Right now?  Xcode can't do anything for you, as there's nothing similar 
on VMS.  The Eclipse-based NXTware Remote, Distributed NetBeans and 
LSEDIT are the major choices, at present.

VSI is not likely going to wade in and build anything approaching Xcode 
prior to the x86-64 port, and — if VSI does ever decide to try creating 
a VSI IDE — it'll probably be Windows based.

> Could I appreciate something that would be checking my code as I type? 
> Maybe.  Visual Basic V6 does that, and sometimes I appreciate it, and 
> sometimes I curse it.  Not saying that every tool would be the same.

Things I like in Xcode: Source code completion and (this is where the 
compilation comes in) with symbols included.  Automatic source code 
formatting.  Not having to format stuff is handy.  Source code 
reformatting, when needed.   Automatic refactoring.  Fast symbol 
searches, a  easy jump right to the symbol definition (where ever that 
is), and global symbol and global routine editing — want to change a 
symbol or routine to something that better reflects what's going on, 
and you can change every single instance of that name in all of your 
source files at once, and easily.   Immediate in-line diagnostics for 
finding and resolving coding errors.   Context-sensitive help, both for 
the language and for the operating system interfaces and frameworks.   
Not having to deal with link commands or related is handy, too.  Need 
the symbols for {whatever}?   Drag the library into the build, and off 
you go.  Built-in debugging, too — set a release build, get production 
code or set debugging and get a debugging build.  Click in a specific 
part of the source code editing window, and you've set (or cleared) a 
breakpoint at that line of code.  Integrated source control access, so 
you can either checkpoint the whole build while you're working (easy 
roll-backs, if you want to experiment) or check out or check in the 
source code.   The ability to add scripts to attend to specific or 
unique requirements too, such as assigning your own unique build 
identifier or copying files or frameworks around.

> I have procedures for building an executable after modifications. 
> Simple.  Works.  Ain't broke.  I imagine that something else will 
> actually be more work for me.

Yep.  And right up into the most recent IDEs, I'd have agreed with you.

This is the sort of thing where trying different platforms and tools 
can be enlightening.


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