On May 19, 2011, at 7:43 PM, mike.w.me...@gmail.com wrote: > > The "download the massive IDE" path seems to presume that a newcomer actually > needs something more than "a simple REPL" in order to get started. I'd claim > that's wrong - at least in a world where any computer you'd run clojure on > can multitask and display multiple windows. Yes, a system where the editor > and REPL are tightly coupled is much more productive, but that's at a micro > scale. Running a simple editor in one window and a REPL in a shell/console > window in another will do for starters - it'll still be a lot faster than a > typical edit/compile/run cycle, and should be sufficient to get a feel for > how Clojure is a win at the macro scale. >
I agree that there's a sweet spot for newcomers here, where one uses a simple REPL (possibly invoked with lein) and an editor that's not tightly coupled, which should make it easier to provide a unified and idiot-proof download/install procedure. But I do think that you need an editor with a few essential features, at very least bracket matching and Clojure-aware auto-indenting. Last I checked JEdit (which you mentioned later in your message) does not have Clojure-aware auto-indenting, but I agree that if it did then this would be an attractive package for many newcomers. I think there are a couple of other "95% of the way there" approaches out there for hitting this sweet spot (with different, small but significant flaws in each, as of the last time I checked). -Lee -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Clojure" group. To post to this group, send email to clojure@googlegroups.com Note that posts from new members are moderated - please be patient with your first post. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to clojure+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/clojure?hl=en
