[Bluej-discuss] Feature request, auto-formatting

[Michael Kölling]

On 19 Jul 2006, at 18:11, Ollie Glass wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I do a lot of one-to-one Java tuition with students using Blue/J. I
> find that new programmers greatly benefit from properly indented code
> but take a long time to learn how to write neatly. Is there any
> chance of a Netbeans style auto-format command in Blue/J?

There is certainly a chance, but it may be a small one...

If people take a long time to learn it, should we give them a long  
time to learn it? Or should we not teach it.

This question comes up again and again at regular intervals. So does  
the issue of code completion.

This time I thought -- seeing that I just entered the hip world of  
blogging, the only form of publishing that has more writers than  
readers --  I'd write my views somewhere where I can point to them in  
the future. Here:


   http://www.bluej.org/mrt

(under the title "To complete or not to complete".)

Michael