A source code editor that isn’t document oriented

Jun 27 2011 Published by under Uncategorized

I say the world is in need of a source code editor that isn’t document oriented.

Today we open a file.  This file typically contains a class and its methods.  One can read the object variables and relations to other classes typically at the top of the document.  The methods are sorted in an alphabetical manner.

Why do we still handle the code like this?

When I work with source code I am more interested in the calls that come in and go out of the method I am looking at.  I am also interested in inheritances and interfaces of the class and both the class’ and the method’s usage throughout the project/solution/world.  I am normally not interested in the method that begins with the same letters.

Some years ago I saw a Java editor that worked with relations instead of source code.
I have recently experimented with Debugger canvas from Microsoft which takes a similar view on debugging.  It is labs and it is, probably, a beta and it is immature and does not hold Microsoft standard yet.  But it is a start.

D0es anyone know of any other tool that handles the source code like we handle it, and not only as files in a folder structure?

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