Notepad++ Ruby Syntax enhancement

thomthom · 20 Oct 2009, 09:05

I use Notepad++ to write plugins. Great editor. But there's something with the ruby syntax highlighting that's always bothered me; inline if and unless statements isn't highlighted. Is there a way to configure the language to do so?

I tried the User-Defined window to create a new Ruby style - but it didn't seem possible to set up the language to match the existing.

NewOne · 20 Oct 2009, 10:03

it doesn't highlight if it's placed after something... I think it's not recognized as expression

thomthom · 20 Oct 2009, 10:14

Yes, but I'm wondering if it's possible to change the syntax highlighting so it does recognize it.

TIG · 20 Oct 2009, 12:51

I also use Notepad++ and I just live with it...

The Ruby Style would need to find not only '^if ' and ' if '... but also ' if*' or '* if ' or ')if ' or '^if(' or ' if(' or ')if(' etc whilst avoiding 'if' as in 'difference'... Perhaps a request to the author ?

User defined language styles would mean you recreating ALL of the other Ruby stuff and THEN adding this !

thomthom · 20 Oct 2009, 12:58

@tig said:

User defined language styles would mean you recreating ALL of the other Ruby stuff and THEN adding this !

Is it possible at all to define that? I had a look at Format->User-Defined Dialouge... But I wasn't able to find such control.

TIG · 20 Oct 2009, 13:26

@thomthom said:

@tig said:

User defined language styles would mean you recreating ALL of the other Ruby stuff and THEN adding this !

Is it possible at all to define that? I had a look at Format->User-Defined Dialouge... But I wasn't able to find such control.

See this for help http://weblogs.asp.net/jgalloway/archive/2006/11/25/creating-a-user-defined-language-in-notepad.aspx

thomthom · 20 Oct 2009, 13:29

That's what I've been trying to use - but not been able to create the result I want. I even tried to open the XML file where it's defined, in-case I should find an alternative way.

Only other option I can find is writing a custom lexer - but that requires C knowledge - which I don't have....

MartinRinehart · 20 Oct 2009, 15:12

@thomthom said:

Only other option I can find is writing a custom lexer - but that requires C knowledge - which I don't have....

C isn't required. I've got lexers in Java, Perl and Python if you want to have a look.

thomthom · 20 Oct 2009, 15:26

Can a Python lexer work with NP++?

I've not used Java, Perl or Python - but I hear the leap from Ruby isn't that big. And in any case, the next V-Ray for Sketchup is written in Python so I will need to learn it anyway.

MartinRinehart · 20 Oct 2009, 18:52

@thomthom said:

Can a Python lexer work with NP++?

I've no idea. Took a look. My lexer is a Decaf lexer, written in Python. Decaf (Java without the Jitters) is a beginners language I've designed and am working on, but not often enough.

Decaf is quite like Python in most things, except suites. I actually have decided to implement suites:


if condition
    no braces
    around this
    block of code

# no braces, no begin/end

Fortunately for your requirement, Decaf's lexer still looks for {} around statement blocks.

Unfortunately, Ruby persuaded me to add trailing IF and UNLESS but they're not there yet, either. I could add those soon.

Here's the language description. Before you go here, "lexical analysis" and "lexing" are Decaf-described as "breaking the language into WORDS" (not tokens). Parsing is picking out PHRASES (not expressions) and SENTENCES (aka statements). The code and doc is in various stages of being converted to Decaf-speak.


# Decaf's EBNF grammar

# grammar of the grammar;
#     'x'     the character 'x'
#     'xxx'   the character string 'xxx' (as a separate word)
#     x | y   either x or y
#     [ x ]   0 or 1 x
#     x*      0 or more x
#     x+      1 or more x
#     {}      grouping, example;
#               "exp{',' exp}+" - "exp" followed by one or more "',' exp"
#     < xx >  comment (documentation of the grammar)
#     full_name, nm ;;=
#         x   'full_name' is defined as 'x', 'nm' is short for 'full_name' 
#
#     xxx;    definition continued, next line
#
#     name ;;=
#         x
#         y   'name' is defined as 'x | y'
#
#     xxx_operator, xx ;;=
#           < operators of type 'xxx' listed here >

#---------------------- words -----------------------

constant_e, con_e ;;=
    'E' = 2.71828182845904523536

constant_pi, con_pi ;;=
    'PI' = 3.14159265358979323846

comment_eol_word, cmt_w ;;=
    COMMENT_EOL

end_of_line_word, eol_w ;;=
    END_OF_LINE

end_of_input_word, eoi_w ;;=
    END_OF_INPUT

end_of_statement_word, eos_w ;;=
    END_OF_STATEMENT

line_continuation_word, lcon_w ;;=
    LINE_CONTINUATION

whitespace_word, white_w ;;=
    WHITESPACE

constant_integer_word, con_i_w ;;=
    CONSTANT_INTEGER

constant_decimal_word, con_d_w ;;=
    CONSTANT_DECIMAL

lbrace_word, lbrace_w ;;=
    LBRACE

lbracket_word, lbrkt_w ;;=
    LBRACKET

lparen_word, lprn_w ;;=
    LPAREN

malformed_number_word, m_num_w ;;=
    MALFORMED_NUMBER

multiline_string_word, ml_str_w ;;=
    MULTILINE_STRING

name_word, name_w ;;=
    NAME

operator_word, op_w ;;=
    OPERATOR

rbrace_word, rbrace_w ;;=
    RBRACE

rbracket_word, rbrkt_w ;;=
    RBRACKET

reserved_word_word, res_wrd_w ;;=
    RESERVED_WORD

rparen_word, rprn_w ;;=
    RPAREN

string_word, str_w ;;=
    STRING

unclosed_multiline_string_word, unc_mls_w ;;=
    UNCLOSED_MULTILINE_STRING

unclosed_string_word, unc_str_w ;;=
    UNCLOSED_STRING

unknown_character_word, unk_chr_w ;;=
    UNKNOWN_CHARACTER

#------------------- expressions --------------------    

arithmetic_operator, arth_op_p ;;=
    '+' | '-' | '*' | '/' | '^' | '%' 

copula_operator, cop_op_p ;;=
    '=>'

comparison_operator, cmp_op_p ;;= 
    'GT' | 'GE' | 'EQ' | 'LE' | 'LT' | 'NE' | 'IN'

binary_logical_operator, log_op_p ;;=
    'AND' | 'OR'

unary_logical_operator, not_op_p ;;=
    'NOT'

other_operator, oth_op_p ;;=
    '.' | ',' | ';'

expression, expr ;;=
    arithmetic_expression
    comparison_expression
    logical_expression
    parenthesized_expression
    list_expression
    range_expression
    subscript_expression
    function_call
    selection_expression

arithmetic_expression, arth_exp ;;=
    operand arithmetic_operator operand
    '-' operand

comparison_expression, cmp_exp ;;=
    operand comparison_operator operand

logical_expression, log_exp ;;=
    operand binary_logical_operator operand
    unary_logical_operator operand
    'TRUE' | 'FALSE'
    comparison_expression

parenthesized_expression, paren_exp ;;=
    '(' expression ')'

list_expression, lst_exp ;;=
    expression {',' expression}+

range_expression, rng_exp ;;=
    operand ';' [operand]
    ';' operand < operands must be integers >

subscript_expression, sub_exp ;;=
    '[' range_expression{',' range_expression}* ']'

function_call, func_exp ;;=
    parenthesized_expression function_name

function_name, func_nm ;;=
    NAME < name of defined or imported function >

selection_expression, sel_exp ;;=
    NAME{'.' NAME}+

operand, oprand ;;=
	NAME
	constant
	expression

constant, cnstnt ;;=
	CONSTANT_INTEGER | CONSTANT_DECIMAL | STRING | MULTILINE_STRING

#-------------------------- other phrases ----------------------------

address, addr_p ;;=
    PATHNAME < address on local machine >
    URL < address on any machine >

capability_name, cp_nm_p ;;=
    NAME < of capability type >

right_hand_side, rhs_p ;;=
    rhs_qualifiers [type_name] variable_name

rhs_qualifiers, rhs_ql_p ;;=
    [ 'LOCAL' | 'GLOBAL' ] [ 'RW' | 'RO' ] [range_expression]

return_types_list, rt_tps_p ;;=
    type_name{, type_name}*

type_name, tp_nm_p ;;=
    base_type
    built_in_type
    defined_type

base_type, bs_tp_p ;;=
    'BIT' | 'BYTE' | 'CHAR' | 'DEC' | 'GROUP' |;
    'INT' | 'NAMELIST' | 'TYPE' | 'SUB'

built_in_type, bi_tp_p ;;=
    < see http://www.MartinRinehart.com/posters/decaf-object-library.html >        

defined_type, def_tp_p ;;=
    < types defined in page or imported from other pages >

variable_name, vr_nm_p ;;=
    NAME < word, type==NAME, textValue contains name >

condition, cond_p ;;=
    logical_expression

list_name, ls_nm_p ;;=
    NAME < that identifies a list, array, NAMELIST or group >

self_name_p, self_p ;;=
    'ME'

#--------------------- statements -----------------------	

statement, smt ;;=
    declaration_statement
    action_statement

declaration_statement, dec_smt ;;=
    var_declaration_statement
    include_statement
    type_declaration_statement
    sub_declaration_statement

action_statement, act_smt ;;=
    expression_statement
    block_statement
    if_statement
    foreach_statement
    while_statement
    loop_statement
    break_statement
    return_statement

var_declaration_statement, vr_dec_smt ;;=
    rhs_qualifiers type_name variable_name

include_statement, incl_smt ;;=
    'INCLUDE' address {',' address}*

type_declaration_statement, tp_dec_smt ;;=
    { 'CLASS' | 'CAPABILITY' } NAME1;
        [ 'EXTENDS' NAME2 ];
        ['CANDO' capability_name [, capability_name]* ];
        [ MULTILINE_STRING ] < documentation >;
        action_statement

sub_declaration_statement, sb_dec_smt ;;=
    'SUB' '(' [ list_expression ] ')' NAME '(' [ return_types_list ] ')';
	action_statement

expression_statement, exp_smt ;;=
    expression [ copula_operator right_hand_side{',' right_hand_side}* ]

block_statement, blk_smt ;;=
    INDENT;
        [ MULTILINE_STRING ] < documentation >;
        statement*;
        UNINDENT

if_statement, if_smt ;;=
    'IF' condition 'THEN' action_statement [ 'ELSE' action_statement ]

foreach_statement, for_smt ;;=
    'FOR' 'EACH' variable_name IN list_name DO action_statement

while_statement, whl_smt ;;=
    'WHILE' condition 'DO' action_statement

loop_statement, loop_smt ;;=
    'LOOP'

break_statement, brk_smt ;;=
    'BREAK'

return_statement, ret_smt ;;=
    'RETURN' expression < expression may be expression_list >

#---------------------- program -----------------------

program, prgrm ;;=
    [ MULTILINE_STRING ] < documentation >;
    statement*;
    END_OF_INPUT
    
# end of decaf.bnf

This is drifting off-topic. Unless someone (anyone?) else is interested, maybe we could do this via Email. MartinRinehart at gmail dot com.