IDE or Editor

• I am not entering this debate
• If your read this, you are interested in IDE
• We try to keep it light
• We do not aim convert editor users

LDT among IDEs

• I am not entering this either
• This talk is not about comparison
• It is about explaining how we do things

Assistance

Type system

• Why?
• Any example?
• How is it done?

Assistance

Type system

Why?

• It just bootstraps everything
• It enable to focus on valuable completion
  • Minimize ackwards proposals
• We like our Lua flexible
• Flexible is hard for IDEs

Assistance

Type system

Any example?

• I have two of them:
  • functions
    • What do they return?
  • tables
    • Which field is code assistance worthy?
    • What is the type or their fields?

Assistance

Type system

Any example?

colorer = function(x)
  local t = def(x)
  t.color = '#ddd'
  return t
end

-- So now, what's a good completion proposal?
local colored = colorer( somevalue )

Assistance

Type system

How is it done?

• Documentation language
• Comment prefixed annotations
• Inference
• Indeed: compatible with all Lua 5.1 interpreters

Assistance

Type system

How it is done: sample

---
-- @type coloredtable
-- @field #string result

--- @return #coloredtable
colorer = function(x)
  local t = def(x)
  t.color = '#ddd'
  return t
end

-- Now we know
local colored = colorer( somevalue )

Assistance

Type system

How is it done: another sample

---
-- @type coloredtable
-- @field #string result

colorer = function(x)
  local t = def(x)
  t.color = '#ddd'
  return t
end

local colored = colorer( somevalue ) -- #coloredtable

Assistance

Type system

Integrating documentation

• Describes your code
  • In a way both humans and computers can understand
• Can describe:
  • Modules
  • Libraries
  • Environments

Assistance

Type system

Integrating documentation

Environments?

• We came with the concept of Execution Environment (EE)
  • It is the description of your application runtime
• Convenient for:
  • Third party: No need to deliver source code
  • Frameworks: Explain how and why of some specifics
  • C: When commented right, you have completion on it

Assistance

Type system

Integrating documentation

It is open

• LuaDocumentor, our documentation generator is
  • A single project
  • Available from command line
• You can write your own EE
  • You can attach it to your project

Merci