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Message-ID: <20120104181033.11376cjn4hu6ghux@www.teotigraphix.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:10:33 -0500
From: Michael Schmalle <mike@teotigraphix.com>
To: flex-dev@incubator.apache.org
Subject: Re: Proposition :: ASDoc and compiler adjustments
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Quoting Rick Winscot <rick.winscot@gmail.com>:

> web-links between classes,
easy

> references to classes in the build paths
done

> doc generation
done, I have written JASDoc using jasblocks that creates all my  
components asdocs in html

What I'm saying is I already have an application that uses an AST DOM  
in asblocks. SO I already know and application can be written, it's  
the other end that my AS3 DOM does right now that could be put into  
the compiler hooks and api to expose what is needed to create the  
application.

This way you are using the AST from the compiler. I have to look at  
the code for the compiler when it's released but if it does not have a  
DOM that could be written as an external Java framework to access the  
core of the compilers AST.

It's all foggy right now since I don't know what the Flex end would be  
but everything else from the DOM out is solved.

I might just have to make a quick blog post to show people a screen  
shot of the application, maybe peak some community interest.

Mike


My application already does this and it's an AIR application.

> Mike,
>
> This sounds like an interesting idea. I've been all over MetaAS,  
> PMD, and Code Model... which is what it would take to make something  
> like this happen. Why so much depth? Mainly, because 'docs' aren't  
> just 'text.' A good example would be web-links between classes,  
> references, etc. Code formatting, doc generation, and compiler hooks  
> could get pretty involved (I love a challenge).
>
> You've piqued my interest... what kind of specific use cases are you  
> thinking about?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rick Winscot
>
>
> On Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:40 PM, Michael Schmalle wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I do not have a lot of experience with the actual compiler and asdoc
>> tool but that has not stopped me from having fun with parsers and AST.
>> :)
>>
>> I am wondering if there is any interest in creating some apis in the
>> compiler that jive with the asdoc tool(modifying the asdoc tool). I'm
>> going to be looking into the source code of this tomorrow so I will
>> have a clear understanding of what the work would be.
>>
>> My idea is this; If we could allow public api in both tools that
>> expose themselves through java it would allow 3rd party developers and
>> applications that could be made to enhance the documentation process
>> through formatters and asdoc editor applications.
>>
>> This a highlevel idea but I have already written such an application
>> using the jasblocks and asblocks AST framework, that are used to
>> create a user interface into creating asdoc comments and such through
>> visual editing of descriptions and tags.
>>
>> No more typing /** ... */ is what I mean, the editor using the AST
>> reinserts the comment using tokens.
>>
>> I have found taking the actual documentation process out of the IDE's
>> code view allows for better documentation and actual revelation that
>> creating great docs can be fun.
>>
>> Any interest?
>>
>> Mike
>
>