Online source code browser

[stan]

On Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:13:39 -0500
Robert Myers <rbmyersusa at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ummm... editor of my choice?  For some strange reason, I decided to
> look at the source code for anaconda.
> 
> I figured that, if I could do what anaconda does, I could do anything.

Yeah, anaconda and preupgrade are probably nascent expert systems.  I
haven't looked at anacond, yum was frightening enough for me. :-)
> 
> Well, I followed your recipe, and, after installing a *very* long list
> of implied dependencies, I managed to get something or other into the
> BUILD directory.

When I am investigating python programs, I just go look at the
installed code since it is human readable.

On my F14 x86_64 system, when I run 
rpm -q --filesbypkg anaconda | less
I find that the main packages are in the directories
/usr/lib64/anaconda (init and loader)
/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/pyanaconda (the bulk of anaconda)

I then browse through the categories I am interested in with vim and
python syntax highlighting.  

> 
> What's there is a g*dawful mess.  Is there an IDV that will help me
> make sense of al this?

I'm not sure what IDV stands for (Integrated Development Viewer?), but
I give a suggestion below.  Check out the classes, etc.  They are
usually documented right in the code.

> 
> The python eclipse plugin is version 0.0.1.  No thanks.  Any other
> suggestions?


If you go to 
http://www.python.org
on the main page there are links that eventually lead to all the
Integrated or GUI development environments.  You should be able to try
them (even the commercial products have stripped down free versions) to
see which one you like.

Maybe someone else will give a more helpful answer.