Emacs mode for TrafficScript

Much as emacs is a fine editor, there are alternatives in this century. GEdit is a very simple editor that is perfect for this type of thing.



This is very simple to setup, just copy the following text into ~/.gnome2/gtksourceview-1.0/language-specs/trafficscript.lang.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE language SYSTEM "language.dtd">
<language _name="TrafficScript" version="1.0" _section="Scripts" mimetypes="text/x-trafficscript">
	
	<escape-char>\</escape-char>

	<string _name = "String" style = "String" end-at-line-end = "FALSE">
		<start-regex>"</start-regex>
		<end-regex>"</end-regex>
	</string>

	<line-comment _name = "Line Comment" style= "Comment">
		<start-regex>#</start-regex>
	</line-comment>

	<pattern-item _name = "Variables" style = "Data Type">
		<regex>[$][a-zA-Z0-9_]+</regex>
	</pattern-item>

	<keyword-list _name = "Keywords" style = "Keyword" case-sensitive="TRUE">
		<keyword>while</keyword>
		<keyword>if</keyword>
		<keyword>else</keyword>
		<keyword>break</keyword>
		<keyword>continue</keyword>
	</keyword-list>
</language>

You can then load up a trafficscript rule, and select the 'TrafficScript' highlighting mode from the View menu.

Not to be outdone by users of inferior text editors the following is a syntax highlighting scheme for TrafficScript for VIM. Save the following code to trafficscript.vim

" Vim syntax file
" Language:    TrafficScript
" Maintainer:  Declan Conlon
" Last Change: 13 Jan 2006
" URL:         http://knowledgehub.zeus.com

syn keyword    Conditional    if else
syn keyword    Statement      break continue
syn keyword    Repeat         while

syn match      Comment        "#.*"

syn match      Identifier     "\$[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_]\+"
syn match      Function       "[A-Za-z0-9]\+\(\.[A-Za-z0-9]\+\)\+"

syn region     String         start="\"" end="\"" skip="\\\\\|\\\""

let b:current_syntax = "trafficscript"

Then to use it, enter the command :so trafficscript.vim and enjoy :-)

Of course, the discerning developer eschews RSI-inducing kitchen sinks, notepad clones and 1970's retro editors with command and insert modes. The wise and serene embrace Nirvana, in the shape and form of Nedit:


Note the use of a modern window manager ;-)

You configure the syntax highlighting rules using a GUI (shock!), or you can add the following snippets to your .nedit/nedit.rc or .nedit config file:

In the nedit.highlightPatterns section:

	TrafficScript:1:0{\n\
		Quoted string:"""":""""::String::\n\
		Escapes in strings:"\\\\.":::String2:Quoted string:\n\
		Keywords:"(?<!\\Y)(if|else|while|break|continue)(?!\\Y)":::Keyword::\n\
		Variable:"\\$([0-9a-zA-Z_]*)":::Identifier1::\n\
		Function call:"<[\\l_]\\w.*>\\s*\\n?\\s*(?=\\()":::Subroutine::\n\
		Comment:"#.*$":::Comment::\n\
	}

In the nedit.languageModes section:

	TrafficScript:.ts:::::::\n

The following macro lets you run the TrafficScript syntax checker, using 'Alt-T'. Add it to nedit.shellCommands:

	TrafficScript Check:Alt+T::WS:\n\
		$ZEUSHOME/zxtm/bin/zeus.zxtm --rulesyntaxcheck % && echo No syntax errors\n

Or if you are a Old-Skool Mac saddo like me, you might prefer to pay to use BBEdit and get half as much syntax coloring as everyone else...

Just save the following text as /Applications/BBEdit.app/Contents/Language\ Modules/ZTSCodeless.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>BBEditDocumentType</key>
	<string>CodelessLanguageModule</string>
	<key>BBLMColorsSyntax</key>
	<true/>
	<key>BBLMIsCaseSensitive</key>
	<true/>
	<key>BBLMKeywordList</key>
	<array>
		<string>while</string>
		<string>if</string>
		<string>else</string>
		<string>break</string>
		<string>continue</string>
	</array>
	<key>BBLMLanguageCode</key>
	<string>ZTts</string>
	<key>BBLMLanguageDisplayName</key>
	<string>TrafficScript</string>
	<key>BBLMScansFunctions</key>
	<true/>
	<key>Language Features</key>
	<dict>
		<key>Close Parameter Lists</key>
		<string>)</string>
		<key>Close Statement Blocks</key>
		<string>}</string>
		<key>Close Strings 1</key>
		<string>'</string>
		<key>Close Strings 2</key>
		<string>"</string>
		<key>End-of-line Ends Strings 1</key>
		<false/>
		<key>End-of-line Ends Strings 2</key>
		<false/>
		<key>Escape Char in Strings 1</key>
		<string>\</string>
		<key>Escape Char in Strings 2</key>
		<string>\</string>
		<key>Identifier and Keyword Characters</key>
		<string>0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz$.</string>
		<key>Open Line Comments</key>
		<string>#</string>
		<key>Open Parameter Lists</key>
		<string>(</string>
		<key>Open Statement Blocks</key>
		<string>{</string>
		<key>Open Strings 1</key>
		<string>'</string>
		<key>Open Strings 2</key>
		<string>"</string>
	</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

And you should get something like this:

Note the use of a modern operating system and gorgeous display-pdf rendering!

so, who won the t-shirt?

I am impressed. Emacs support is always very welcome to serious programmers. And vim support is nice too. Great stuff.

I've always been a fan of Microchip (www.microchip.com) and the reason why is not necessarily based on the actual chips they produce, but on the superior quality of their user manuals. OK, so that's an aside, but anyway the point is it's nice to have programmer support for products and editor highlighting contributes positively!