Another Area For Document Development

[Dave Calkins]

>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have created a "Tabbed Button" and I'm now trying to figure out
>>> how to use it!
>>
>> :-)
>>
>>> I can't seem to find any information on this anywhere, could
>>> someone point me in the right direction please?
>>
>> It is somewhere in the dox, but i did not find it yet ;-)
>>
>>> I just want a number of tabs running across the top of the window
>>> with a number of controls in each Tab.


> Subject: Re: How do I use a Tabbed Button???
> To: "How to use Revolution" <use-revolution at lists.runrev.com>
> Message-ID: <000e01c41a75$281977b0$0101a8c0 at PJG>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Hi,
>
> I can send you an attachment off list  coverng all the areas that you 
> cover
> in .  Let me know if you  want me to know by sending me an email 
> offlist at
> pgilmartin at ermventures.net
>
>

Hi Guys,
I have been thinking about this one for a while too, sorry to harp 
about the documentation again, but this is another area that I feel is 
kind of weak. The above question highlights the one other major area 
where the documentation is very weak.

The documentation is excellent when it comes to the textual aspects of 
the individual elements that make up the transcript programing 
language. What it is missing is information about how to take those 
elements and put them together, to be able to see how to develop the 
more common elements that are found in most programs. The documents 
need to discuss and show how to take all of the individual details or 
elements that are found in the present documents and be able to see how 
to put them together into some of the more common program elements or 
interfaces.

Let me give examples of what I mean.

I did a search for "Tab Button" in the Document Search Engine, no such 
entry was found. This shows part of the basic problem. Why is a very 
common data selection method like this not even mentioned. A simple 
discussion about how to implement "Tab Buttons" should be addressed in 
the documents.

There are many broad topics that are common to most programs. How to 
implement them with RR should be something that is addressed in the 
documents. Using simple tutorials for the most common usages of program 
interfaces as well as for the most common types of programs RR is aimed 
at is a must. They should give step by step examples with screen shots, 
etc. for these most basic elements; elements RR can able to run circles 
around other programing tools.

The following are elements or topics the documentation should address. 
New Rev programers need to see examples of how to implement the 
following in RR....

Using tap buttons, developing a simple database structure (not a 
stack), accessing that simple database, developing a simple web 
management / browser, using images, using arrays, the list could go on.

Doing a search on each of these topics will reveal "nothing found" in 
many instances, to at most a simple one card definition. There is very 
little information that will help beginners to begin developing 
programs that deal with these common interfaces and applications. The 
tools are there in Rev to create these interfaces and applications 
fairly simply. Part of the problem is that there is so much highly 
detailed information in the documents about the elements of the engine, 
the tools that we use to make a program work, but there is hardly any 
information about how to take those elements and put them together to 
make them do something that we want. (develop a database, access / 
transmit data over the web, etc.) That is why so many people are asking 
these same questions over and over again on this forum. (By the way, 
you guys are great about sharing information with folks and attempting 
to answer / solve peoples questions.)

Giving examples on how to do these common things with Rev will do 
several things.
1. It will helps people to help themselves. They will have samples 
which they can work through and experiment with. It gives them terms 
that they then can look up in the dictionary, etc. They can see how the 
elements, (field, variables, properties, etc.) work together to access 
a database. How many questions do you see on how to build a menu? Not 
many because folks can work through the tutorial and play with it and 
develop an understanding of how it works in rev. Then they apply it to 
there own applications.

2. It would help keep the old pros from burning out here on the this 
forum. They don't have to keep answering the same type of question over 
and over again. This can become frustrating because new folks are 
always come in. There is nothing in the docs to compare their own work 
to and so they ask for guidance here. I am truly amazed by how hard you 
guys work at helping others solve their code issues. This is rare and 
is an example of how dedicated people are to seeing RR succeed.

3. It would free up a great deal of time and energy toward being able 
to explore more complex issues of getting Rev to work in other areas. 
It would allow more thought to go into wanted / needed features. It 
would also help develop working solutions, not only for problem areas 
within the rev environment, but for new market areas for which RR 
applications could be the ideal solution. Having to spend less time 
helping users figure out how to do the typical things that interfaces 
and / or applications do would greatly help this forum delve a lot 
deeper into RR. That's good for all of us.

The documentation as it is right now is like having an excellent 
dictionary that defines all of the words. There are descriptions of 
nouns, verbs, and pronouns, there are examples of how they work, and 
you can even find a bit of information on how to put the sentences 
together, but there is very little is information provided on how to 
actually write the story. What are the common elements that every story 
writer needs in order to be able to develop his ideas? I'm not asking 
the write my story, but I do need to see examples of the most common 
elements that every writer uses to create a masterpiece.

If you give examples / tutorials in these broadly used areas you will 
give people the tools to use Revolution to solve their own problems. By 
the going through the examples that you given in the docs, they will be 
able to learn the techniques they need and will see how to apply them 
to their own applications. By reading the documents as they presently 
are, I can see the vast tools that are in Rev to create a database, I 
just can't see how actually to put them together to make it work. 
Having these common examples in the documentation will help me and 
every other RR user see how deal with these issues in on our own; it 
will help make each of us stronger programers; as well as will help 
make this forum much stronger in the long run. The documents still will 
need to add to the visual, and kinesthetic aspects in order to be truly 
powerful tool for everyone.

I am not asking the documentation to get into advanced levels and 
details which apply to these areas. Advanced design issues can and 
should be addressed on this forum, in books like Dans ebooks, and on 
various web sites.

I have listed several areas that I feel would be beneficial to most new 
users as they are learning how to apply RR to there projects. Adding 
these to the documentation would give most people a starting place, 
which they can then adapt their specific applications.

Using tap buttons, developing a simple database, developing simple web 
management / browser, using images, using arrays....
These are topics that I think need to be addressed in the documents. 
People should not have to ask the forum general questions about how to 
add and work with tab buttons.

Thoughts?

What other general areas and topics should be addressed in the 
documents?

I'll post this to both lists, because I think it is relevant to both 
groups.
Dave Calkins