Editor with commands for automatically disabling and enabling program code portions

A computer readable storage medium, having a computer readable program encoded thereon and being directly loadable into a working memory of a data processing system, the computer readable program having instructions for performing a method of editing program code when the computer readable program is run on the data processing system, the program code being suitable for subsequent processing, wherein the method comprises:

• defining at least two portions of the program code;
• selecting a first defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code;
• compressing a representation of the first defined portion in a visual representation of the program code such that content of the first defined portion is not visible in the visual representation of the program code, wherein a second defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code remains visible in the visual representation of the program code;
• and
• automatically disabling the first defined portion, the disabled first defined portion being excluded from the subsequent processing, wherein the second defined portion is subjected to subsequent processing, wherein compressing the representation of the first defined portion in the visual representation of the program code comprises:
• replacing a visual representation of the content of the first defined portion with an identifier of the first defined portion, the identifier indicating a position in the program code where the first defined portion was present but not containing contents of the first defined portion;
• and
• inserting, into the visual representation of the program code, a compression identifier in association with the identifier of the first defined portion, the compression identifier indicating that the first defined portion has been compressed.

A data processing system for editing program code, the program code being suitable for subsequent processing, wherein the system includes:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• and
• an input device, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement:
• a software module for defining at least two portions of the program code;
• a software module for selecting a first defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code in response to an input from the input device;
• a software module for compressing a representation of the first defined portion in a visual representation of the program code such that content of the first defined portion is not visible in the visual representation of the program code, wherein a second defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code remains visible in the visual representation of the program code;
• and
• a software module for automatically disabling the first defined portion, the disabled first defined portion being excluded from the subsequent processing, wherein the second defined portion is subjected to subsequent processing, wherein the software module for compressing compresses the representation of the first defined portion in the visual representation of the program code at least by:
• replacing a visual representation of the content of the first defined portion with an identifier of the first defined portion, the identifier indicating a position in the program code where the first defined portion was present but not containing contents of the first defined portion;
• and
• inserting, into the visual representation of the program code, a compression identifier in association with the identifier of the first defined portion, the compression identifier indicating that the first defined portion has been compressed.

A method of editing program code on a data processing system, the program code being suitable for subsequent processing, wherein the method includes the steps of:

• defining at least two portions of the program code;
• selecting a first defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code;
• compressing a representation of the first defined portion in a visual representation of the program code such that content of the first defined portion is not visible in the visual representation of the program code, wherein a second defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code remains visible in the visual representation of the program code;
• and
• automatically disabling the first defined portion, the disabled first defined portion being excluded from the subsequent processing, wherein the second defined portion is subjected to subsequent processing, wherein at least one of the at least two portions of the program code has an associated level, and wherein selecting a first defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code comprises receiving an input specifying a level such that portions of program code equal to or above the specified level are visually represented in the visual representation of the program code, and wherein portions of the program code that are not equal to or above the specified level are automatically compressed in the visual representation of the program code such that they are not visible.

A computer readable storage medium, having a computer readable program encoded thereon and being directly loadable into a working memory of a data processing system, the computer readable program having instructions for performing a method of editing program code when the computer readable program is run on the data processing system, the program code being suitable for subsequent processing, wherein the method comprises:

• defining at least two portions of the program code;
• selecting a first defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code;
• compressing a representation of the first defined portion in a visual representation of the program code such that content of the first defined portion is not visible in the visual representation of the program code, wherein a second defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code remains visible in the visual representation of the program code;
• and
• automatically disabling the first defined portion, the disabled first defined portion being excluded from the subsequent processing, wherein the second defined portion is subjected to subsequent processing, wherein:
• at least one of the at least two portions of the program code has an associated level,
• selecting a first defined portion of the at least two portions of the program code comprises receiving an input specifying a level such that portions of program code equal to or above the specified level are visually represented in the visual representation of the program code,
• portions of the program code that are not equal to or above the specified level are automatically compressed in the visual representation of the program code such that they are not visible, and
• the first defined portion and second defined portion are both of a same content type but have different associated levels.