varung / console.js

A javascript console implementation on top of ACE editor.

Dependencies

• ace

Optional:

• ace theme-textmate
• ace mode-javascript

How to build our custom hacked ACE

Clone our custom repo

git clone git://github.com/rxaviers/ace.git

Branch console_hacks

cd ace
git checkout console_hacks

Build

npm install
node Makefile.dryice.js -m

Copy the built files to /libs

cd ..
cp ace/build/src-min/ace.js console.js/libs

Example

In the HTML:

<div id="shell"></div>

In the javascript:

new Shell("shell");

console.js's Issues

multiline / arrow interaction

Desire:
when in multiline, should be able to press up/down/left/right to navigate within the multiline command.
i.e., disable history up/down while inside multiline.

double click on word does not select the word

in normal text editor, when you double click a word, it is selected.

Add autocomplete functionality

Add autocomplete functionality.

Spec

Usage:

new Autocomplete(editor, {
    source: function(request, responseCallback) {
        var partialWord = request.term;
        ...
        responseCallback( content ); // see datamodel below
    }
});

Datamodel (following jquery UI), is an array of objects (maps), containing two required properties:

• A label property to display in the autocomplete list ("John Doe [email protected]").
  • this will be displayed as plain-textmac
• A value property that ends up in the input field once selected ("[email protected]");
  • if undefined, same as label

Implementation & UI

Autocomplete will use jQuery UI's menu widget. Therefore, the dropdown menu will behave and look like the one in this demo.

• NOTE: it does NOT implement the gray-auto-complete-with-the-first-option done in Chrome.

References

Chrome console

Issues:

• Stops autocompleting on multi-line (after first Shift+Enter);
• Do not autocomplete with Tab on multiple options;

Autocomplete shows/(keep showing) when:

• Writing a word: YES
• Navigating thru an incompleted word: NO
• Backspace: YES

Autocomplete closes when:

• ESC key: YES
• Navigate Left/Right: YES

Autocompletes on:

• Tab key: YES (*NOT on multiple options)
• Up/Down + Enter: YES
• Paste: YES

Cloud9 http://cloud9ide.com/

Issues:

• Tab key duplicates completion: eg. funcTab gives funcfunction, NOT expected function;
• Down key moves down in the editor, not in the autocomplete list;

Autocomplete shows/(keep showing) when:

• Writing a word: YES
• Navigating thru an incompleted word: NO
• Backspace: YES

Autocomplete closes when:

• ESC key: YES
• Navigate Left/Right: YES

Autocompletes on:

• Tab key: YES (*buggy)
• Up/Down + Enter: YES
• Paste: NO

ACE issue ajaxorg/ace#110

Caret appears in read-only section of text

The following could be nice:

1. dark main caret remains at command prompt
2. lighter caret appears where user clicks. In fact, if this caret can be controlled by keyboard, and have the usual shift select capabilities, so that you can copy text using keyboard and paste back at the prompt.

This may be implementable given ACE's ability to use multiple carets?

shift select to the left, press left arrow, doesn't deselect region

type in
x = 20
now select to the left using shift and home
now press left arrow
in all text editors, this deselects. This doesn't work.

remove syntax highlighting for output

It's weird that the error messages are syntax highlighted, and totally incorrectly.
I don't want the output to have syntax highlighting.

Make libs/ace customizations external

It would be better to keep changes/customizations to ACE code (libs/ace*) separate from console repository. One suggestion is to create a fork of ACE, do the changes there. Create a build. Then, make a reference to that as an external dependency.

shift select of text from next to prompt to the right and delete fails

If you shift select from left to right, and press delete, you cannot delete the text
example:

x = 10
press home to go to the left
then press shift and end to go to the right
now all text is selected
press delete
doesn't work

Multiple selection lets you change previous prompts

Ctrl+selecting previous text lets user change them.

Undo (Ctrl-Z) lets you go back to previous prompts

You can press ctrl-Z, and shift-ctrl-Z to undo/redo, but it lets you go back to previous prompts.
Upon pressing enter (not shift-enter), we need to clear the undo stack. This way you can undo/redo while editing one-line, but not multiple.

Wonder if we should have used one ACE for output, and another for input, right below it. That solution would have:

1. allowed the cursor to remain visible on the input prompt
2. prevent any possible undo/redo bugs, or any other violation of the read-only nature of text already inserted.

Regression bug: select read-only got deletable

x in gutter on first line

while selecting something, press key, causes selection to jump

select some text in the read only portion
press delete
selection flips and jumps down