Given the marketing on the Express web page, I'd recommend developing tutorials AND sample stacks, well-commented, for the following:
- Simple courseware on a k-12 topic, e.g. the life cycle of a frog, with a little demo or game of some kind (for "a teacher who wants to create your own courseware")
- A simple multiplayer online game, explored and explained (for "a power user who wants to make a custom Internet application"). Take a look at low-end Mud/MUSH code, e.g. PerlMud, for ideas, then add graphics.
- An example of a mathematical model (for "a researcher who wants to program a mathematical model")
- A stack which can be used to control Lego Robots through the USB port (for "a student who wants to control robot behavior", and this would also address the USB issue), or, if the Lego version isn't where you want to go, a little stack about building and controlling a very simple robot from scratch using parts from Radio Shack and RunRev
- A datebook that synchronizes with a desktop calendar, Palm, and a web-cgi-based calendar (for "anyone who wants to create personal applications," and this would also address the USB issue and be another good internet application, too.)
I could probably help write the first two, but I won't be able to get to it for a couple of months.
Essentially, if you claim newbies can do this stuff with Express, show them how. These should be bundled with the RR download and explored in tutorials similar to the "Independent Study" tutorial. It wouldn't hurt to look through these examples and note the most common features and pull them out as their own sequenced tutorial lessons, either (e.g. external file access). And it would *really* help to have a "table of contents" view of each tutorial, for people who need to browse through and find a particular part of a tutorial, either because they already know how to do part of it, or because they have done it once already and just need to look something up. This is where printed docs are still ahead of electronic docs. (See the PS note for a comment about the printed manuals.)
As an addendum to the conversation on the state of the documentation, I've been able to figure out how to do most of what I want to do in the three weeks that I've been playing with RR, but I used to develop in Hypercard on a semi-professional basis, and I depend heavily on that knowledge. (I learned Hypercard largely through Danny Goodman's excellent example-filled books, as others have mentioned here.) I'm also apparently better than average at tricking search engines into giving me useful results, so I've had good luck finding what I want in the bundled documentation and in this list's archives. (I can even get useful info from Microsoft Help as often as not.) I don't think it's safe to assume the average new user or potential user of RunRev will have extensive Hypercard programming experience or my luck (or persistence) with search engines. But a lot depends on where the Runtime Revolution company wants to go. As it stands, this is a niche market tool for at least somewhat experienced developers. (Very experienced developers are also likely to be confused by this tool, at least at first.) The "high plateau of a beginning" applies to the expected customer base as well as the state of the documentation.
Again, look at the marketing for Revolution Express: "Anyone can use Revolution Express to write software. It's as simple as pointing and clicking to make objects like dialog boxes, buttons, pictures, and text fields. Then you write straightforward, English-like instructions for each object to control what the object does." I don't know if there is a market anymore for "programming for the rest of us," but this product doesn't quite meet that need. I don't think a better search engine or index is the answer (though I would welcome both). I think better included examples that first-time users could take apart and play with, as described above, would help more. Yes, there are the stacks linked in the Contributions section of the RunRev website, but where to start? As some have suggested, the Hypercard Home Stack provided a launching place for new users. Perhaps there could be an optional Home Stack which could be turned off for more experienced developers by changing a Preferences setting. It might not be a repository of library scripts, but rather a launching and navigational tool. This optional Home Stack could help link new users to several useful tutorials built into stacks of their own (i.e. a stack per tutorial) which users could copy and modify. This would be a lot more approachable than the current "blank page" starting point. Some snazzy (but actually simple) demos, as Marion suggested, would also help. A Christmas card with an animated fireplace and a way to import family photos to the pictures on the wall, then a button to build the whole thing as a standalone, would be great.
I work for a major Unix vendor by day, and I am always amazed at the disdainful attitude my co-workers display toward new users or those unfamiliar with the geeky glory of computers. We all have to start somewhere, and while there is no "royal road to programming", I'm a big believer in well-organized educational support as opposed to the "sink or swim" method. (Then again, I work in technical education, so that may just be my professional bias showing.) On the other hand, I realize that it takes time to develop good educational materials, and time = money, right? I guess there needs to be a balance between the necessary investment in documentation and training materials and the expected revenue from anticipated user base growth due to same. If there are no potential RR users out there who want to start writing apps from little or no programming background, there's not much point in writing those tutorials. But if there are a bunch of folks just waiting to take off with RunRev, an investment in good online tutorials (really, a kind of mini online training) could offer a huge return. Lengthening the trial period and/or lowering the cost of Express down to something more comparable to the cost of a high-end video game, say $80-100, would also be a good idea. Put a 1-year trial expiration on this "ultra-express" version if you must, but get this thing out there in the hands of people who can get used to it, at a low cost and with really great tutorials, and I think you're likely to get the attention of the market. (If you're not sure the market is there, go to your local large chain bookstore and look at the pile of tomes purporting to teach people how to write multiplayer online games. Those books are there because people are asking for them. Then ask yourself if RunRev wouldn't be a more reasonable approach for most people.)
In my heart, I'm a usability purist, and I want computers to be as easy to use as they are on "Star Trek." We're not there yet, but I think tools like Runtime Revolution could be part of what gets us there, rather than another obstacle on the journey. But only if we agree that that's where we're trying to go.
Elizabeth Dalton
ps - the printed manuals seem quite expensive. Has RunRev considered CafePress.com? They might be able to lower the cost of distributing the printed manuals, as well as being able to add mousepads, tshirts and whatnot to the available products, at no cost to RunRev other than the time to set it up. Just a thought.
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