User:Quozl

Pippy Design Idea 2011-03-10

Purpose

a learner will be able to use examples to write more complex code,
a learner will be able to use modules created by other learners to write more complex code, with or without changing the contributed module,
increase code sharing,
increase relevance to Python users,
increase portability of code written, beyond Pippy and Sugar,

Data

A running Pippy instance will contain the following data:

zero or more python zip bundles,
each python zip bundle will include a setup.py capable of creating the zip bundle output,
unless the user has asked to edited the setup.py, it will not be shown, instead a default will be used, maintained by Pippy,

Input

Pippy may read from:

a saved instance of Pippy, in the journal,
a zip bundle in the journal,
example zip bundles included with Pippy,

Output

Pippy may write to:

a saved instance of Pippy, in the journal,
a zip bundle in the journal.

Display

Display will contain:

toolbar,
a series of tabs, one for each bundle, an add bundle button, and an open example bundle button,
within each bundle, a series of tabs, one for __doc__ that is not editable, one for each source file that is editable, and an add file button,
within each file, a syntax highlighting text edit widget.

(the series of tabs encapsulated in another series of tabs is potentially difficult for a learner to comprehend, but an alternative tree view is thought inappropriate because of the horizontal space consumed, and because use of a bundle should be constrained to the public API of the bundle).

Process

When run is pressed, display will contain:

toolbar,
stdout stdin vte,
a stop button.

Changes

Partial list of changes to bring Pippy existing source to a state consistent with the design above:

remove the examples widget from the main screen, provide it only as an "open an example bundle" function,
remove the output window from the main screen, provide it only when a program is run, and only if the program generates stdout or reads from stdin,
enlarge the program text entry widget to be nearly full screen,
encapsulate the program text entry widget in tabs for files in a zip bundle,
encapsulate the bundle in tabs for zip bundles loaded into pippy instance,
on standard sugar save, save all zip bundles and files in a sugar journal entry,
provide an export zip bundle button that creates a sugar journal entry of type zip bundle, for sharing,
provide a way to import zip bundles from journal into the current pippy instance, using the object chooser,
on execution of a bundle, allow access to all other currently loaded bundles via import, and access to system bundles via import,