Could we \import pragma from a text area field?

Developers
#1

Hi I am working on some tiddlywiki development tools and wondering if there were a way to import pragma/macro/procedure definitions from a textarea field in the current tiddler.

To illustrate this I will show code that does not work

\import [all[current]get[local-pragma]]

This would allow me to separate out any pragma from R&D tiddlers text field so there is no need to scroll down to the tiddler body as the pragma gets longer.

  • the Import variables widget has the same limitation as the filter only returns tiddler titles that are subsequently imported.

Perhaps there is a work around, however I would also be interested in seeing if a slight modification of the \import pragma or another created, could be made to get it working.

  • The pragma is defined here $:/core/modules/parsers/wikiparser/rules/import.js
  • perhaps modify the importvariables widget, however it will need to be closed at the bottom of the tiddler :frowning:
    • it is defined here $:/core/modules/widgets/importvariables.js
    • perhaps this could be given additional parameters tiddler (defaults to current tiddler) and field. Its in Javascript so I can’t understand it.
    • Clone and modify to ImportVariablesHere is another approach

Why;

  • Keep the scope of the design effort to one tiddler, no need to define global values in separate tiddlers
  • When you have a lot of pragma simplify editing the body
  • Allow the local override of a core widget or macro like in a “sandbox”
  • Allow such tiddlers to be shared including their pragma
  • Developing new utility procedures, widget, functions and filters in a “sandbox” like tiddler.
  • No tagging etc… of an external tiddler.

I already have an equivalent form for a local view template that is drawn from a textarea field. I just add the field and the local view template is applied.

  • I may try and do something similar for local styles as well
#2

No. Cerate a tiddler and import it from there.

Edit: The importvariables widget reads information from the tiddlers cached parseTree and “links” it to the current tiddler.

  • Tiddler fields are not parsed and not cached atm
  • Importing stuff from there would be slow
  • We also do not have a good editing UI for field text-areas in the core atm

While some of your “Why” arguments are valid there is na equal number of “contra” arguments against that functionality.

  • An additional one is code complexity and consistency
  • If users would want to overwrite “field pragmas” they would need to change the tiddler. But if the tiddler is a shadow-tiddler this would cause a lot of problems.
#3

We have 2 ways to easily exchange several tiddlers in “one tiddler”

  • Plugins and
  • Bundles

So from my point of view it would make much more sense to improve the possibilities to create plugins or bundles from within the core.

#4

Hi @TW_Tones that code doesn’t work because the import pragma expects a filter that yields the titles of tiddlers containing the definitions. There is currently no way to import definitions from a field other that the default “text” field.

#5
  • That is interesting to know, but I am not sure how important it is for one tiddler (at a time).

This is only for a single software development tiddler. Or an example to share, so I don’t think there is a performance issue, I can also automate a way to turn suchg a tiddler into a multi-tiller solution or plugin but only after development.

  • I am however bundling some support tiddlers with this solution.
  • eg I already have “a good editing UI for field text-areas” inside the editor view/
  • Yes, I understood that seemed to be the case. But I am trying to get around it.
  • The worst case may be to save a temp tiddler and import that.

As I said I already have a local-viewTemplate that works nicely but it can use a transclusion.

<$list filter="[{$:/config/local-viewTemplate}match[show]]" variable=nul>
   <$list filter="[all[current]has[local-viewtemplate]]" variable=nul>
      <$transclude tiddler=<<currentTiddler>> field="local-viewtemplate" mode=block/>
   </$list>
</$list>
#6

One possible approach might be to use the <$transclude> widget to import the contents of the field, and ensure that there is a <$slot> widget at the end of the definitions. Then when you transclude, you can include a matching <$fill> widget, and then the wikitext within that widget will have access to the imported definitions.