[fpc-devel] property syntax extension

[Paul Ishenin]

Michael Van Canneyt wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Oct 2007, Paul Ishenin wrote:
>
>   
>> Hello, fpc-developer list.
>>
>> Some time ago I posted here proposal to extend platform keyword. You gave a
>> hostile reception to that proposal.
>>
>> Later Florian in private conversation with me suggested better idea of
>> property attributes. Indeed, attributes are more general solution than
>> platform keyword.
>>
>> Lets discuss this proposal.
>>
>> What is the purpose: extend rtti (or another structures that can be accessed
>> at run time) with list of user defined Name=Value items.
>>
>> How it can be used: since it is generic solution different tools can use it in
>> their own way. For example in LCL we can use attribute 'widgetset' to define
>> widgetset specific properties and show such properties on another Tab of
>> Object Inspector or with different colors (or show hints and so on).
>>     
>
> I see no problem with this proposal from a language point of view. 
> The only problem is the storage. Your 'runtime access'.
>
> I don't think it belongs in the RTTI. RTTI ends up in the binary, and 
> we get already enough complaints about binary size. A switch to leave 
> it out is not really a good solution, it shouldn't be in there in the
> first place (apart from the technical feasability)
>
> Also, the only place where this extended information is useful, is in 
> the Lazarus IDE (or any other IDE) Therefor I propose to simply write 
> it to the .ppu file, or - like the resource strings - to a separate file: 
> one per unit. (a .ppi file: "pascal property information").
>   
Ok, no problem - lets it be ppu. We only need some way of accessing that 
data. Is ppu reading methods already exists in RTL or another fpc package?

Best regards,
Paul Ishenin.