Up Top       Prev finder      Next print_jvm_class


The pretty command



Usage

Pretty is the SmallEiffel Pretty Printer for Eiffel source files. For all classes given as arguments, pretty looks for the corresponding file using the same algorithm as finder. All the corresponding files are reformatted in a `pretty' way.

For example, provided that you have write permission for the corresponding class file, you can reformat the source file of class HELLO_WORLD using the command:

pretty hello_world
There are four modes of pretty printing: -zen, -default, -end and -parano mode. Only one mode can be selected and mode -default is the default.

Options for pretty printing

-zen:
The least that you can print. The pseudovariable Current is never printed (unless it is necessary). No end mark comments are used for routines. There are no end comments for constructs (if, inspect, debug and so on). This option produces very compact output.

-default:
This is the default mode. It doesn't change output of the pseudovariable Current; if Current is in the input, Current is in the output. This mode inserts the end comment of routines. It does not produce end comments for constructs.

-end:
This produces the same output as -default, but produces end comments for all constructs.

-parano:
This produces the same output as -end, but inserts Current everywhere possible.

-no_warning:
Suppress output for all warning messages (error messages are still printed).

Security and BackUp file

For the security of source files, a backup file is created before the new file is written to disk. (The system, or pretty itself, might crash while the new file is being written).

The backup file name is foo.bak when the source file name is foo.e. The backup file is written in the same directory as the source file.

If an old backup file already exists before pretty printing, pretty exits with an error message.

To be sure that the pretty printing has been done properly, the output file is parsed again. Even if the second parsing gives no errors, the backup file is NOT removed. This allows you to recompile your Eiffel code to check the new file before removing the backup file manually.



Copyright © Dominique COLNET and Suzanne COLLIN - <colnet@loria.fr>
Last update: Tuesday June 9th, 1998





Up Top       Prev finder      Next print_jvm_class



This page was last changed for the Debian SmallEiffel package by Oliver Elphick on 30th December 1998.