JMP Script Editor Snippets

5 Kudos

Description

While waiting for Add Snippets to Script Editor wish to be completed, I quickly wrote an add-in so I can have at least some sort of snippets while scripting in Script Editor. Add-in was put together fairly fast and it does still have bugs and issues (especially with focusing different elements in the UI). There might be changes to this add-in which will break the functionality of current snippets and/or their locations.

What is a Snippet? Snippet is a programming term for a small region of re-usable source code, machine code, or text (wikipedia, Snippet_(programming)). Snippets allow you to quickly insert re-usable code blocks to your code. This will save you time and reduce mistakes you could have if you were to manually type the snippet.

Installation

Add-in has been built with Add-In Manager, requires at minimum JMP16 and does support Windows (might work on OSX, but I cannot test that and supported host has been set as Win in add-in manager).

Download the add-in from this page and install as you would normally install JMP Add-Ins (double click). The add-in will (by default) use shortcut keybind Ctrl+Shift+Space . When the add-in first time run it will create folder to users $DOCUMENTS called jmp_script_editor_snippets which user can use to store custom snippets (full path is something like C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\jmp_script_editor_snippets\). The snippet files are basically just .jsl files which are found from the add-ins' snippet folder or from user's documents snippet folder.

Usage:

Write #snippet <optional search term> (optionally user can use #sni or #snip instead of writing the whole #snippet) into your script editor. #snippet is used as a lookup value and if you include optional search terms, those will be used to pre-fill the search bar. After you have #snippet in your code, press Ctrl+Shift+Space to launch JMP Script Editor Snippet window, search for correct snippet and press OK (you can sometimes also just press Enter / use Tab to get to Enter). #snippet line will be replaced with the snippet you selected. Below is image of the snippet window

Snippet window

If user runs the add-in and there is no #snippet found from the script box, nothing will happen. If you don't want to insert snippet, press Esc. If you by accident insert snippet, you can try to press Ctrl+Z to undo the change.

User can access this community page for help and open snippet folder from the add-in menu

Pre-installed snippets

Names of these snippets are kept short on purpose, so user can easily write the whole name as <optional search term> after #snippet. Using snippets this way allows user to immediately pressing enter to use the wanted snippet.

new_bg

Names Default To Here(1); 

dt = open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp");

new_bg_gb

Names Default To Here(1); 

dt = open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp");

gb = dt << Graph Builder(
	Variables(X(:weight), Y(:height), Overlay(:sex)),
	Elements(Points(X, Y, Legend(9)), Line Of Fit(X, Y, Legend(11)))
);

Names Default To Here(1); dt = open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp"); gb = dt << Graph Builder( Variables(X(:weight), Y(:height), Overlay(:sex)), Elements(Points(X, Y, Legend(9)), Line Of Fit(X, Y, Legend(11))) );

if

If(condition1,
	//code1
, //else
	//code2
);

elif

If(condition1,
	//code1
, //condition2,
	//code2
, //else
	//code3
);

func

function1 = function({param1, param2, param3 = .}, {Default Local},
	/*"""function1 which returns missing.
	
	More description regarding the function
	
	Args:
		param1 (displaybox): 
		param2 (char): 
		param3 (num): 
	
	Returns:
		num: missing
	
	Raises:
		exception_msg
	"""*/
	
	return(.);
);

function1 = function({param1, param2, param3 = .}, {Default Local}, /*"""function1 which returns missing. More description regarding the function Args: param1 (displaybox): param2 (char): param3 (num): Returns: num: missing Raises: exception_msg """*/ return(.); );

new

/*"""One sentence description for this script

Author: 
Creation Date: 
Creation JMP Version: 

Description: 

Todo:
    * 
    * 
	
"""*/

Names Default To Here(1);

/*"""One sentence description for this script Author: Creation Date: Creation JMP Version: Description: Todo: * * """*/ Names Default To Here(1);

nw

nw = New Window("name",
	V List Box(align("Center"),
		
	)
	, << Set Window Icon("JMP")
);

modal

nw = New Window("Modal Window", << modal, << return result,
	H List Box(
		Panel Box("Options",
			lb = List Box({})
		),
		Panel Box("Actions",
			Lineup Box(N Col(1),
				Button Box("OK"),
				Button Box("Cancel")
			)
		)
	)
	, << Set Window Icon("Warning")
);

If(nw["Button"] != 1,
	Throw("Cancelled");
);

nw = New Window("Modal Window", << modal, << return result, H List Box( Panel Box("Options", lb = List Box({}) ), Panel Box("Actions", Lineup Box(N Col(1), Button Box("OK"), Button Box("Cancel") ) ) ) , << Set Window Icon("Warning") ); If(nw["Button"] != 1, Throw("Cancelled"); );

sql

dsn_string = "";

sql_template = "\[
select 1
from dual	
]\";

dbc = Create Database Connection(dsn_string);
sql = Eval Insert(sql_template, "¤"); // use ¤ to avoid issues with regex when using ^
dt = Execute SQL(dbc, sql, "NewTable");
Close Database Connection(dbc);

dsn_string = ""; sql_template = "\[ select 1 from dual ]\"; dbc = Create Database Connection(dsn_string); sql = Eval Insert(sql_template, "¤"); // use ¤ to avoid issues with regex when using ^ dt = Execute SQL(dbc, sql, "NewTable"); Close Database Connection(dbc);

try

Try(
	Show(a);
, // Catch
	show(exception_msg);
);

I also added community_template.jsl stored to my $DOCUMENTS snippet folder, which I use to store my scripting solutions from JMP Community

/*"""
author: jthi
date: YYYY-MM-DD
url: https://community.jmp.com/t5/Discussions/
keywords/tags: []
"""*/

Names Default To Here(1);

/*""" author: jthi date: YYYY-MM-DD url: https://community.jmp.com/t5/Discussions/ keywords/tags: [] """*/ Names Default To Here(1);

Example

In this simple example I will create new script. The script will have one function which will perform an SQL query and then return the result table.

First I will start a new .jsl script file. I will start by writing

#snippet new

next I will run the add-in to replace that snippet. Because I have pre-written the whole snippet name to the #snippet line it will be pre-selected for me

and I can just press enter immediately after opening the add-in to use that snippet.

Next I will add a new function with func snippet

#snippet func

and then inside that I will add sql snippet

#snippet sql

My current code looks like this:

/*"""This Add-In provides Snippet functionality to JMP Script Editor.

Author: 
Creation Date: 
Creation JMP Version: 

Description: 

Todo:
    * 
    * 
	
"""*/

Names Default To Here(1);

function1 = function({param1, param2, param3 = .}, {Default Local},
	/*"""function1 which returns missing.
	
	More description regarding the function
	
	Args:
		param1 (displaybox): 
		param2 (char): 
		param3 (num): 
	
	Returns:
		num: missing
	
	Raises:
		exception_msg
	"""*/
sql_template = "\[
select 1
from dual	
]\";

dbc = Create Database Connection(dsnstring);
sql = Eval Insert(sql_template, "¤"); // use ¤ to avoid issues with regex when using ^
dt = Execute SQL(dbc, sql, "NewTable");
Close Database Connection(dbc);

	return(.);
);

/*"""This Add-In provides Snippet functionality to JMP Script Editor. Author: Creation Date: Creation JMP Version: Description: Todo: * * """*/ Names Default To Here(1); function1 = function({param1, param2, param3 = .}, {Default Local}, /*"""function1 which returns missing. More description regarding the function Args: param1 (displaybox): param2 (char): param3 (num): Returns: num: missing Raises: exception_msg """*/ sql_template = "\[ select 1 from dual ]\"; dbc = Create Database Connection(dsnstring); sql = Eval Insert(sql_template, "¤"); // use ¤ to avoid issues with regex when using ^ dt = Execute SQL(dbc, sql, "NewTable"); Close Database Connection(dbc); return(.); );

I will clean it up by adding indentation inside the function and fill out the documentation strings and finally my script will look like this:

/*"""Example on the usage of JMP Script Editor Snippets

Author: jthi
Creation Date: 2022-12-19
Creation JMP Version: JMP Pro 16
	
"""*/

Names Default To Here(1);

get_data = function({duration = 1}, {Default Local},
	/*"""Function to query data from sql
		
	Args:
		duration (num): days to query
	
	Returns:
		datatable: queried data table
	
	"""*/
	dsn_string = "DSN=dBASE Files;DBQ=C:/Program Files/SAS/JMPPRO/16/Samples/Import Data/;"

	sql_template = "\[
	select *
	from tables
	where
		data > sysdate - ¤duration¤
	]\";

	dbc = Create Database Connection(dsn_string);
	sql = Eval Insert(sql_template, "¤");
	dt = Execute SQL(dbc, sql, "Query Result");
	Close Database Connection(dbc);

	return(dt);
);

/*"""Example on the usage of JMP Script Editor Snippets Author: jthi Creation Date: 2022-12-19 Creation JMP Version: JMP Pro 16 """*/ Names Default To Here(1); get_data = function({duration = 1}, {Default Local}, /*"""Function to query data from sql Args: duration (num): days to query Returns: datatable: queried data table """*/ dsn_string = "DSN=dBASE Files;DBQ=C:/Program Files/SAS/JMPPRO/16/Samples/Import Data/;" sql_template = "\[ select * from tables where data > sysdate - ¤duration¤ ]\"; dbc = Create Database Connection(dsn_string); sql = Eval Insert(sql_template, "¤"); dt = Execute SQL(dbc, sql, "Query Result"); Close Database Connection(dbc); return(dt); );

Below is short video of the add-in usage with based on the example abow

(view in My Videos)

Possible Future work

Write proper .md file
~~Add handling for white space / tabs before snippet so the inserted code will have correct indentation~~
~~Add help button and button to open users snippet folder to add-in's menu~~
- ~~Also requires creation of "help" page. The help page can be made from .md converted to .html or by using this community page.~~
~~Attempt to fix focusing issues~~
~~Add settings option~~
- ~~disabled snippets, snippet_str, list box nlines~~
Possibility to append snippets to end of script window without the requirement of #snippet
- Other shortcut for "Append Snippet"?
Possibly think of more complicated syntax, which would allow pre-filling some values in snippets
- #snippet <search_term> !param1 !param2 (or something similar)
- Maybe even allow evaluation of values from variables in the script? Would this require different syntax or is this already feature creep?
Possibility to embed snippet listing next to script editor
Add more pre-written snippets
Add possibility to add descriptions to snippets

Change Log

Version 2.0 (20 December 2022)

Added new snippets: modal and if. New elif replaced old if snippet
Changed snippet check to use list of values. Added #sni and #snip as additional key words (current list #sni, #snip, #snippet)
Added new configurable variables
Made Script Preview wider to fit approximately 80 characters of code
Added Help button to add-in menu
Added open snippet folder button to add-in menu
Added support for indentation during snippet usage

Version 2.0.1 (22 December 2022)

Attempt to fix issue where empty lines were getting removed from snippets

frank_wang · ‎12-19-2022

Cool.

hogi · ‎12-20-2022

@jthi , thanks a lot for this Add-In. This can help a lot.

You could add a button to open the C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\jmp_script_editor_snippets\ folder.

@jthi wrote:
Possibility to append snippets to end of script window without the requirement of #snippet

... or at the current cursor position?
You could place a #snippet just there it the Add-In doesn't find it somewhere else in the code.
But good that it's just #snippet and not

#this is the place where my snippet should go to

perhaps: allow # snippet (with space) as well to make the functionality more robust against user "errors".

jthi · ‎12-21-2022

@hogi

I'm not sure I can access user's cursor position in Scripting Box directly with JSL. I can do workarounds with powershell and windows dll but I won't (most likely) do those for this add-in as it is working well enough for me with the usage of keywords.