Greg Christopher of VMware has written an article for DevX.com: Hey, Check Out My Slick New Editor!

In the article he discussing some of his favorite features of SlickEdit and why SlickEdit is his code editor of choice for programming.

On objections on switching editors

If your current editor works well enough for you, why switch? The answer depends on how you define “well enough.” Your current editor probably handles every editing command you think you need now, but consider the possibility that something could make you far more productive. You’ll see a few examples in a moment, but first, here are some of the reasons you might decide not to switch editors.

(more…)

I have always liked the idea of the Services menu, but found it frustratingly crowded and not often helpful. And I always thought Automator had real potential, but I never really found a place for it in my day-to-day work. With the improvements to the Services menu in Snow Leopard, the combination of these features is wonderfully useful.

SlickEdit’s Slick-C macro language should be no stranger to our users, but many folks aren’t aware that macros can be called when SlickEdit is started. In this tutorial, I’ll demonstrate how to use Automator to create a simple text service for SlickEdit, using this macro call facility. (more…)

There’s a great old commercial for Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops that reminds me a lot of what happens on most software projects. The commercial features a crudely drawn cartoon of a boy trying to figure out a vitally important question.

Boy: Mr. Turtle, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?
Mr. Turtle: I’ve never even made it without biting. Ask Mr. Owl.
Boy: Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?
Mr. Owl: Let’s find out. A One… A two-HOO…A three.
(crunch sound effect)
Mr. Owl: Three!

This illustrates two common problems in oral communication. The first is the iterative process of finding someone who might know the answer to your question. In software development, the questions are typically of a more concrete nature, relating to a specific design or implementation choice. (more…)