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As I find the time for it, I might try putting one together for Pascal, and maybe even Java or Ada, but this may not happen for a while.
Again, this would be good stuff for a search feature in the Rev docs...
On Mar 8, 2005, at 2:50 PM, Dan Shafer wrote:
It might be a useful idea for people who know other languages -- RealBASIC, VB, C++, C#, Java, (JavaScript?) -- to come up with a sort of list of equivalents that would enable at least a sort of basic cross-language cross-reference into the Transcript docs.
My guess is that the total number of such links isn't huge for each language.
Dan
On Mar 8, 2005, at 10:51 AM, Richard Gaskin wrote:
Mark Wieder wrote:Absolutely spot on. Example: in topics, searching for "static" (as in "static text") brings up a handful of entries, at least one of which talks about label fields. However, filtering on "static" brings up a total of nothing. Nada. Zilch.
This must be "static text" week, as the subject has come up frequently in multiple venues. I believe there may be two cognitive issues at play, both of which may be addressible in the docs and UI:
1. Implied object types
--------------------
This issue could be seen as arising from a mismatch between an object model inferrable from the Rev IDE UI and the far simpler one in the underlying language itself.
Given the myriad icons in the IDE's tool pallete, and reinforced through descriptions which suggest a different native object type like "label field", it's understandable that one might infer that this is somehow a different object from an ordinary field, and indeed in many (most?) other languages static text is implemented as a different class from editable text fields.
The actual Transcript object model is much simpler:
Text is displayed in fields. The lockText property governs whether that text can be edited.
I respect the apparent design initiative of the IDE's toolbar, which allows you to create buttons and fields with a great many properties preset for greater convenience.
But maybe the core question here for learning is: Could design enhancements be made which would provide the same level of convenience enjoyed currently but also make more it more clear that most of the "object types" are actually variants of a much simpler set of objects merely with varying property settings?
2. Accomodation of common nomenclature
-----------------------------------
"Static text" is a widely-used term in a great many languages and tools. Although there is no need for a separate object type to provide that since Transcript's fields do it well today, it would be tremendously helpful to have such terms indexed in the docs so that they point to the corresponding Transcript term/object.
Such indexing is difficult, as it requires a significant time committment from the subset of available resources who understand multiple tools/language intimately enough to anticipate such conceptual overlap.
So maybe an interim process to start work on such index expansion might be an extension of the "user notes" facility, which would allow ad hoc additions to the search endex. As related terms become evident, anyone could log them into a pool which is queued for the next release.
It may also be useful to see a reinstatement of the old Getting Started info, which included specialized orientations for new users coming from experience with a variety of other tools. If that were extended with a reference of common terms and methods from other popular languages pointing to their Transcript counterparts it could play a strong role in flattening the learning curve for those picking up Transcript as a second language.
-- Richard Gaskin Fourth World Media Corporation __________________________________________________ Rev tools and more: http://www.fourthworld.com/rev _______________________________________________ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
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- ----------------------------------------------------------- Frank D. Engel, Jr. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
$ ln -s /usr/share/kjvbible /usr/manual
$ true | cat /usr/manual | grep "John 3:16"
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
$
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