New Calypso version 0.8 is out

Finally I finish major Calypso changes. It is a big refactoring on navigation model and browser pluggability.

For the model part the biggest change is composition of queries and scopes. 

For example string lookup in class comments and method sources looks like:

(ClyClassComments withSubstring: 'test') , (ClyMethodSources withSubstring: 'test')

Query of all variables accessible from the class can be done with:

ClyAllVariables fromAll: {ClyClassScope. ClySuperclassScope} of: Morph in: environment

In the browser these compositions are created from some concrete scope using conversion methods. For example inherited scope can be constructed with:

classScope , (classScope asScope: ClySuperclassScope)

And full hierarchy scope looks like:

classScope

     , (classScope asScope: ClySuperclassScope)

     , (classScope asScope: ClySubclassScope)

The next important feature is async queries. Now it is possible to evaluate any query in background. Just convert given query using #async message:

asyncQuery := aQuery async

Browser provides nice visualisation for execution process. It is very simple rotating icon. But real progress indication can be implemented later. Try following script to see it in action:

ClyQueryBrowser openOn: (

    (ClyClassComments withString: 'test'), (ClyMethodSources withString: 'example')) async.

Composition and async queries were required to support advanced search functions like "method source with it". Also critic plugin is now based on them instead of complicated internal implementation for background analysis. 

Nice detail about async queries: they are not bound to global progress bar. The animation is shown in the browser and the query not blocks UI.

With help of new composed design I was able to redo all method groups using queries. Normally if you want new method group you do not need new subclass of group. You only implement new query and group provider instantiates a group on it. For example breakpoints provider is implemented with following methods:

ClyBreakMethodGroupProvider>>createMethodQueryFrom: aClassScope

^ClyActiveBreakpoints from: aClassScope

ClyBreakMethodGroupProvider>>createMethodGroupFor: aMethodQuery from: aClassScope

^ClyMethodGroup named: 'breakpoints' priority: 8.4 on: aMethodQuery 

Interesting that in case when provider returns async query it will be automatically represented by group item with progress animation. It is how critic method group is now implemented. 

Another big change is the result of query. If you will execute query it will return the instance of ClyQueryResult subclass. Previously it was always cursor object which is now opened by demand from given result. 

Purpose of different kinds of result is to format items in different forms. There is ClySortedQueryResult with sort function as parameter (that's why I worked on SortFunction). And there are many kinds of result which return hierarchical browser items.

You can get any query with required result:

newQuery := classQuery withResult: (ClySortedQueryResult using: #name ascending)

newQuery := classQuery withResult: ClySubclassHierarchy new asQueryResult 

By default any query is created with ClyRawQueryResult which represents retrieved items without any formatting. So by default any query returns raw methods, classes and packages. It allows in future to replace current SystemNavigation with Calypso query model.

On the browser part there are many renames. As you noticed ClyQueryBrowser replaced method browser with ability to show mixed query result. In example it shows class comments and methods together in single list. It also able to show classes. Interesting that hierarchical view and sorted view modes are working in all these cases.

The ClySystemBrowser is renamed to ClyFullBrowser.

There are a lot of other internal changes and bug fixes. Here is short list of them:

• better class hierarchies implementation
• merged hierarchies
• mixed traits and subclasses/superclasses relation
• inverse relation hierarchy
• pluggable order for variables view
• pluggable order for class visibility view
• class annotations for browser pluggability
• table decorators are annotated by browser context where they are applied
• browser tools are annotated by browser context where they are activated as tabs
• new Commander based on class annotations
• repackaged code
• many classes are renamed
• traits are in separate plugin
• browser tabs subscribe on system changes by themselves. It fixes sync bug when tabs are not updated after system changes
• search packages like in Nautilus with default persistent filter
• a lot of new system queries

Now I start document new design and I will post more details soon