Scratchpad

The Dassie Compiler includes a scratchpad feature that allows you to quickly write, compile, and execute Dassie code without creating a full project. This is useful for testing ideas, learning the language, or prototyping.

Overview

A scratch is a temporary code snippet that is stored in a dedicated directory. Scratches can be created, listed, loaded, and deleted using the dc scratchpad command.

Creating a Scratch

To create and open a new scratch, simply run:

dc scratchpad

Or explicitly:

dc scratchpad new

Default Editor Mode

By default, the scratchpad uses console input. You'll see a prompt where you can type your Dassie code directly:

Dassie Compiler for .NET 10
Version X.X, Build XXX (XX/XX/XXXX)

To mark the end of the input, press Ctrl+Z in an empty line and hit Enter.

import System
Console.WriteLine "Hello from scratchpad!"
^Z

After pressing Ctrl+Z (on Windows) or Ctrl+D (on Unix), the code will be compiled and executed.

Using a Custom Editor

You can configure the scratchpad to use your preferred text editor. Set the global configuration property:

dc config --global core.scratchpad.editor=code    # Visual Studio Code
dc config --global core.scratchpad.editor=vim     # Vim
dc config --global core.scratchpad.editor=notepad # Notepad

When a custom editor is configured, running dc scratchpad will open the editor with a temporary file. After you save and close the file, the code will be compiled and executed.

Naming Scratches

By default, scratches are named sequentially (scratch000, scratch001, etc.). You can specify a custom name:

dc scratchpad new --name=my-experiment

Managing Scratches

Listing Saved Scratches

To see all saved scratches:

dc scratchpad list

Example output:

Saved scratches:

Last modified           Name
03/15/2024 10:30:00    scratch000
03/15/2024 11:45:00    scratch001
03/16/2024 09:15:00    my-experiment

Loading a Scratch

To continue working on an existing scratch:

dc scratchpad load my-experiment

Note

The load command requires a custom editor to be configured. It is not available when using the default console input mode.

Deleting a Scratch

To delete a specific scratch:

dc scratchpad delete my-experiment

Clearing All Scratches

To delete all saved scratches:

dc scratchpad clear

Using a Configuration File

If your scratch needs specific compiler settings (such as references to external libraries), you can provide a configuration file:

dc scratchpad new --config=./my-config.xml

The configuration file will be copied to the scratch directory and used during compilation.

Piping Input

You can pipe source code directly to the scratchpad:

echo 'println "Hello!"' | dc scratchpad

Or from a file:

cat my-code.ds | dc scratchpad

This is useful for quick one-liners or scripting scenarios.

Storage Location

Scratches are stored in the system's temporary directory:

Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\Dassie\Scratchpad\
Linux/macOS: /tmp/Dassie/Scratchpad/ (or $TMPDIR/Dassie/Scratchpad/)

Each scratch has its own subdirectory containing:

scratch.ds - The source file
dsconfig.xml - Configuration file (if provided)
Build output files

Tips

Quick Testing: Use scratchpad to quickly test language features or API calls before incorporating them into a larger project.
Learning: The scratchpad is great for following along with tutorials or experimenting with new concepts.
Prototyping: Sketch out algorithms or logic before implementing them in a full project.
No Cleanup Needed: Since scratches are stored in the temp directory, they won't clutter your working directories.

Table of Contents