@josevalim: To answer your questions:
- Yes and no. I think that add hints as you described is not best idea. Why? We use
iexmostly to two things: try Elixir or library API (and in this case its a good idea) and for debugging code. I can’t imagine that I’m browsing bigger debugged (more than one) data and have mixed it with tips. We could have a case that tips could decrease readability of debugged data.
For example:
"It's a result of `&IO.inspect/1` with really long data ..."
Elixir first tip
'second result'
Elixir second tip
325185.1242421
...
What I suggest is to add one more tips / tutorial (or similar name) executable for that or add this tips at start of iex. Maybe with prompt to optionally display next …
my@prompt > iex
...
Did you know that ...?
iex(1)>
or tutorials:
Tuple is ...
Would you like to see documentation for it? [No/yes]
Where No (default) will clear console and display another tip and yes will open a docs in default browser, clear console and display next tip. To exit we could add info to press Ctrl+C.
Think how GUI apps work. They don’t display a tip when you click on specified button, but at start of app in separate window. I think that iex could have something similar (but of course in console).
What do you think about it?
2. I suggest to add hints based on Elixir’s biggest gotchas? topic.
