Thank you, Norbert! I do recall seeing an earlier version of this, when I was investigating how to use PlantUML within Google Docs several months ago; that led me to Christopher's blog, https://fuhrmanator.github.io/ <https://fuhrmanator.github.io/> (where I learned about Pharo's LibC class and how to use it to invoke shell commands in Linux -- which I was quite pleased to find!)
At the time, though, I didn't really investigate it; I got the impression that it required Moose and was intended for analyzing other languages (such as Java). What I would find useful (and what I think Kasper has started down the road to) is the ability to generate PlantUML script from a specified (set of) packages or classes in Pharo. That would make it easy not only to examine the design (in a more synoptic way -- something I've seen several other newcomers express an interest in), but also to embed diagrams in documentation such as PDFs & web pages. Short of that, and probably much easier to implement, is to just add PlantUML script to Pharo class comments as you write them -- but have a simple way to trigger the system to parse the comment and render the script into PlantUML diagrams. This could be in the form of opening a web browser in the host and having the diagram appear via the PlantUML server. But more useful perhaps would be to have it create PNG file(s) in the host filesystem (and open them). How about this? A GUI app in Pharo that allows one to create UML diagrams in a more point-and-click fashion, which then outputs the equivalent PlantUML script (with an option to automatically embed it in a selected class comment). That, plus the normal text in class comments, would allow anyone who needs a deeper understanding of the package/class set to easily obtain UML diagrams as well as descriptions -- all without the need to embed drawings within an image -- or rely on external PDF booklets and web pages. Otherwise, being unfamiliar with the implementation details of a class that seems useful for building something, I find that you end up having to slowly build your own mental model of the class structure (and its behavior) by opening and studying class & methods, one after another. Better would be a synoptic view of the whole thing in a few UML diagrams. This could be taken further, of course: A Pharo app that allows one to draw UML diagrams, then not only renders the PlantUML script, but also constructs the classes & method templates in your image for you. Start with UML to design what you have in mind, then with a few clicks, generate "starter code" and continue by filling in the details of the methods to implement your application. That could be Pharo's "killer app"... -t -- Sent from: http://forum.world.st/Pharo-Smalltalk-Users-f1310670.html
