Yes. There is nice help presenter in the Pharo: StRewriterHelpBrowserPresenter new open [image: Screenshot 2026-02-03 at 10.15.45.png] вÑ, 3 ÑевÑ. 2026â¯Ð³. в 01:36, Richard O'Keefe <raoknz@gmail.com>:
Is the "classic" rewriting syntax documented anywhere?
On Mon, 2 Feb 2026 at 22:52, Denis Kudriashov via Pharo-users < pharo-users@lists.pharo.org> wrote:
Hi all.
This is the release of *BPatterns* project, one of my old ideas on how to make the rewrite engine usable for scripting.
As a quick reminder, here is an example of the classic rewrite-engine matching syntax:
*``@receiver isNil ifTrue: ``@nilBlock*
In practice, patterns like this usually live inside string literalsâhidden away in lint rules, deprecations, or refactorings. To use them for *manual* code search or rewriting, you typically need a dedicated tool.
Now compare that with the same pattern expressed as a *BPattern*:
*[ any isNil ifTrue: anyBlock ] bpattern*
No special syntax. No magical tools. Just pure Smalltalk.
You write a block. You send #bpattern. Youâre done.
Every editor understands it. Every tool respects it.
Want to see where this pattern appears?
* [ any isNil ifTrue: anyBlock ] bpattern browseUsers*
[image: Screenshot 2026-01-31 at 12.16.19.png]
Want to rewrite all of them?
*[[ any isNil ifTrue: anyBlock ] -> [ any ifNil: anyBlock ]] brewrite preview*
[image: Screenshot 2026-01-31 at 12.17.57.png]
Because *BPatterns are real Smalltalk code*, all development tools work out of the box: syntax highlighting, completion, navigation, refactorings.
This is the rewrite engine treated as a *first-class citizen*.
Not strings. Not tooling sidecars. Not just for advanced users.
*A rewrite engine you can actually use.* * A rewrite engine at your fingertips.* More details are in the blog post:
- https://dionisiydk.blogspot.com/2026/02/bpatterns-rewrite-engine-with-smallt...
And follow the project on GitHub:
- https://github.com/dionisiydk/BPatterns
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