Hi David H,
I'll try to mix your questions and my answers below:
> The only one that I don't have is #23 which I cannot find. I
My apologies, I must have messed something up that night, or maybe the
recording program crashed, but at the end of the evening I didn't have a
recording. If it had just been me talking I would have just re-recorded it,
but unfortunately that evening happened to be a guest visit from Jeff
Bishop, author of such large apps as the WinAmp app (which he discussed the
history of, along with technical considerations of how it was constructed
and why).
> 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.
One thing I think you are confusing is XML and HTML. HTML can have
scripting code embedded in it, and often does for web pages, but XML doesn't
(as far as I know); it certainly does not have any scripting code embedded
in it the way window-eyes uses it.
XML is designed as a database mechanism; it's purpose is to hold data. Of
course it could hold scripting code as the data, but it's not designed to
hold scripting code and somehow execute it as you go to do things with the
data.
In the case of window-eyes, it primarily uses XML to hold string definitions
(such as the hotkeys used by an app, or the help text it will display, etc.,
and to hold data which describes the kind of user interface you want
Window-Eyes to construct for you "on the fly". It has some specialized XML
reading methods to make it easy for you to get the data out of your XML
file from your app. The ".strings()" method is an example here; it reads
all the strings defined in the strings portion of your XML file (for a given
language), and places them into a dictionary object for you. The hotkey
manager object does similar types of specialized XML reading of the hotkeys
defined in the strings portion.
But MS also gives you access to more generalized XML reading methods, and
you could use these to read the data yourself if you needed to. Some of the
apps use the XML objects provided by MS to read XML data which is served up
by some web sites (I am planning a future class with examples on how to do
this, but if you'd like to look at some apps, I know "Weather or Not" uses
XML from a web site). I am using this myself to get data from some Google
sites (in an unpublished app).
The point is that the .ini files also used by apps are another sort of
database mechanism, and WE could have designed a way to store all of the
data I've mentioned in .ini files instead of XML files; they're both just
ways to read and write data. There's no doubt the .ini methods are much
easier and simpler, and much less flexible, but the XML is certainly more
interesting to learn to use.
>
> 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
UIDesign just doesn't have the feature right now, but you can edit it's
uidesign.ini file, find the [file_history] section, and remove any of the
entries you don't want to see again.
> 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?
Sure; there is a lot of overlap, especially when you include apps written by
others. Usually, you would use Immed to analyze the program you are trying
to make work better, and then you would use WEScript Framework to generate
the beginnins of your app, and you would use UIDesign to generate any menus
or dialogs your app may need, or even just as an easier way to edit the
"strings" portion of your XML to get your help text and hotkeys defined
(it's a lot easier to use than Notepad).
Often when you go to start testing what you've written, you'll have to go
back to Immed again and again to get more info, and even go back to UIDesign
to add more or edit your user interface elements, but you seldom use the
Script Framework after the initial session (at least, that's how it is for
me).
There is an article I've written on the GW wiki site at
HTTP://gwmicro.com/wiki called "so you want to write an app?", which is in
two parts. The first part does try and lay out the use for all these tools,
but after having this discussion with you, it's given me some ideas for
updating it a bit. Still, have a look to see if it's any help to you. I've
always found the secret to success is to read as much as you can about your
subject of interest.
Good luck on your app, it sounds great. I hate it when someone supplies a
link to a MS document which sounds just perfect, only to find the link is
now broken because MS has moved things around; I just hate the idea of
trying to track it down.
hth,
Chip
> 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
>
