Syntax highlighting is a waste of an information channel
9 hours ago
- #programming
- #syntax-highlighting
- #developer-tools
- Syntax highlighting is criticized for underutilizing the information channel of color.
- Different coding tasks (debugging, reviewing, etc.) could benefit from customizable highlighting rules.
- Proposed use cases include rainbow parentheses, context highlighting, import highlighting, argument highlighting, type highlighting, exception highlighting, and metadata highlighting.
- Implementation challenges include rule complexity, highlighting conflicts, and editor limitations.
- Future potential for semantic highlighting is acknowledged, but significant hurdles remain.