Well, as to the three tools you mentioned, none of them could really be
excluded. Let's take it all for a walk:
Imagine, you want to write an app. There will - sooner or later - come the
time, when you want to test if a given instruction will work. You could -
like most of us old-guys have been used to - write a whole section of the
app, then try to run it; only to find that there is a spot that does not
work properly. The Immed app, will let you test any WE instructions. Instead
of writing a whole section of your app, just to realize it did not do what
you want, you can try it out in the Immed environment. If any of the code
need changing, you can keep modifying till it fit your taste. Or, if you
have a read in the manual, you come across an instruction you want to test
so as to know its actual functionality, you don't really need to write a
whole new app, but can test a lot of the instructions directly in the Immed
screen. Let us, in short, tell the Immed app to be for the app developer,
what the drawing board is for the carpenter. It's here, you will make your
try-and-failing. It's here, you can get to know your pieces of knowledge.
And it's here, you can try out some of it, without breaking your
main-project. I stress the fact of only testing smaller parts, some
instructions and only in simple environments. sometimes, your instructions
will have inputs and outcomes that greatly depend on the rest of your code,
and as such, it would be hard to test the final result any other place but
in your code directly.
Now, what then about the two other app developing tools. The WEFramework
app, is just that - a Framework. It will not create a fully functional app
in itself. And, it will not edit any of the external files - that is, the
Ini and XML files - for your app. All it does, is to do all the basic
writing of the App file (usually a VBS file), the Ini file, and the XML
file. The coding, and modifications - well see, that is your job. Again, if
you were building a house, someone would have put up all the foundation and
framework for you, but you are the one to insert the doors and windows, put
boards on the walls and paint them, hang a lamp in the cealing, and put a
carpet on the floor. Likewise, the Framework app 'types' all the basics for
you, but you have to do all the 'real' coding of the app.
What should you then use the UI Design app for? It is a matter of fact, that
a framework XML file will automatically be created for you, when you run the
Framework app. But again, this is a basic XML code. There is no real
funcionality in it. OK, you could have opened the XML file in any plain text
editor, like Notepad. And, it would make totally sense to read the code, if
you are familiar with all the terminology used in the XML code. But there is
many things that could go wrong. You could have misspelled a given
instruction, forgotten a single one, or even miscounted the number of
indentations or tabs on a given line. Each tiny mistake, would cause great
dysfunctions in your final result. To make it all easier for the end
developer, GW has kindly released the UI Design app. Look at it, as an
editor for your XML files. It does not edit anything in your app code
itself. In fact, it does not even bother to look at your VBS or Ini files
for the app. But it sure takes away a ton of work from your sholders, when
creating and maintaining an XML file.
So, then, which one could you do without? Well, if any of them, let the
Immed go to sleep. But as for the Framework and UI Design, you would pretty
soon be lost without any of them. None of them overlap the other - really.
They simply fill each other in. You first use the Framework app to create
the basics in your VBS, Ini and XML files. Later on, when your app is ready,
you use the UI Design, to modify and maintain your XML file itself.
Hope this put things in a more tidy place with you.
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Helkenn" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 4:45 AM
Subject: RE: Object Assignment
Hi, Chip,
As a matter of fact, the 'hth' has turned into a help! I have the entire
scripting class .mp3 files through Class30.mp3. The only one that I don't
have is #23 which I cannot find. I have also downloaded the accompanying
exercises/example text files. I'm only up to Class8.mp3 on event handling.
I did take a 'peek' (audio peek?) into Class11 and I have tried out the
ui_design app. A couple of things, and I know I'm probably not quite ready
for ui_design, but:
1. It appears that a VB Script can access .xml via objects defined in the
gwToolkit, and elsewhere; and that an .xml file can have scripting code
embedded in it. I'm not yet clear on where to draw lines. For example, I'm
playing with the objects and class definitions for some rather
simple-minded card games and am planning to use .xml to use for the ...
(drum roll here...) User Interface! I have not yet figured out what the
various options are within the control definitions, but that will come I'm
sure.
2. I cannot delete any old, unwanted, out of date, etc. files I've been
playing with. For example, to open an .xml file, I get the list of dead
files that no longer exists ... things like "try1.xml" and "junk.xml" etc.
How do I get rid of these entries? That is, I'd like to clean up after
myself, but I can't seem to delete these entries --
and this within a User Interface app!
3. There also seems to be some overlap(?) among various app development
apps. I understand what immed is for; and, I thinkI know what
scriptFramework wizard is for, and even the UIDesign app. But should I use
the framework in conjunction with UIDesign or are they mutually exclusive?
Should I use one first, then the other?
I hope to use some of my retirement time in developing useful apps, like
an archivist or file locaters. (Unless one knows where MS puts a file, one
usually cannot find it ... at least I have a lot of trouble.)
Anyway, I'm hoping for a fruitful relationship with this app stuff.
Thanks, again...
Dave
At 06:49 PM 5/7/2012, you wrote:
Hi David (Helkenn),
I happened to see your comments for the app UIDesign, and it appears you
are
looking for more information on how to use it.
In my scripting classes archived on the GW developer resources web pages,
I
tried to cover this in classes #11, 13, and 14. They are at:
https://www.gwmicro.com/App_Central/Developers/Interactive_Classes/
It's not much, but it's all I know about in the way of
tutorials/documentation for UIDesign.
Also, if you want to understand all the terminology used by UIDesign, your
other choice is to read the entire section of the App Developer reference
manual on "Designing Custom User Interfaces", until you're familiar with
the
XML for WE UI.
Until you've done these things, I think this mailing list is a more
appropriate (and more likely to help you) place for your questions and
frustrations than the comments section of the app (in appGet).
hth,
Chip
