Upgrade version and pricing [was] Re: Fix it before

[Jan Schenkel]

--- Frank Leahy <frank at backtalk.com> wrote:
> 
> Geoff,
> 
>   --  Going native WinXP appearance -- bug fix.
>   --  More OSX appearance support -- either a bug
> fix or a very minor 
> feature that isn't worth $299.
>   -- Distribution builder fixes -- bug fix.
>   -- Support for more Windows icons -- bug fix.
>   -- Improved database controls -- is this new
> functionality (with new 
> Transcript commands) or bug fixes?
>   -- Numerous bug fixes -- bug fixes.
> 
> I don't mean to be a bore, but that list sounds like
> mostly bug fixes 
> to me.
> 
>   -- Other feauture enhancements
> 
> Hmmm, not enough info to know if there are enough
> features to get 
> current 2.1.2 users (e.g. me) to pony up $299 to
> upgrade.
> 
> Looking at the list you gave, personally I'd rather
> have a 2.1.3 with 
> just the bug fixes.
> 
> Also, you mentioned a public 2.2 beta -- I couldn't
> find it on the web 
> site anywhere -- is it really "public"?
> 
> Best,
> -- Frank
> 

Hi Frank,

Usually I just stay out of this type of discussion :
after all, I'm a happy Rev-user and in spite of the
occasional snag I run into, I find it very usable.
Does that mean it's perfect? No, but the way some
people are talking on this list it's a surprise anyone
can use it, and that is an unfair statement.

Allow me to comment on your aswers to Geoff :

--  Going native WinXP appearance -- bug fix.

It's not because my programs run on WinXP that they
automagically get the look and feel. What I write in
FoxPro doesn't look XP-like either.
In fact, there are plenty of programs that don't
adhere to the new WinXP theme. I conside this an
enhancement.

--  More OSX appearance support -- either a bug fix or
a very minor feature that isn't worth $299.

Of course I have no idea of what your background is,
but the Apple engineers whanged their minds again and
introduced a new API to take advantage of the Panther
abilities.
A logical enhancement, I'd say.

-- Distribution builder fixes -- bug fix.

You mae it sound like nobody could build stand-alones
with the old one. Granted, the new standalone builder
is easier to use and has more features.
But to call a rewrite and new interface  a bugfix ?
Let's keep this conversation at a serious level.

-- Support for more Windows icons -- bug fix.

Again, we're talking about new features that other
development environments may have introduced long
before RunRev, but I don't expect my older
applications to get a shiny new icon.
Adding features is not a bugfix.

-- Improved database controls -- is this new
functionality (with new Transcript commands) or bug
fixes?

Actually, since I contributed this code, I know what
I'm talking about when I say this is not a bugfix, but
rather a set of additional features that should make
it a lot easier for people to link their stacks to
databases.

In version 2.2, you will be able to :
- for field controls : decide whether you want to load
and save the text, unicodetext, htmltext or rtftext
- for table fields : decide which columns in the query
you want to display or show all of them
- for menu buttons : load the menu items to display in
the menu from another query, and save either the
number of the chose item, the name or the key value in
the other query
- for radio button groups : link them to a columln in
a query, just like fields, and decide whether you're
saving and loading the number or the name of the
chosen item.

All of these things you could do in the past with a
little bit of scripting. Hence I'd qualify it as
enhancements.

-- Numerous bug fixes -- bug fixes.

Geoff was quite honest about this : bug fixes. Bugs
happen, and not all of them are easy to solve. Mayb
there should be more of an effort to fix bugs in
earlier version.
But in the company I work for we have a similar
situation, where sometimes it's easier to just
completely rewrite a module ; if it's intermixed with
engine changes, it may not be easy to write it in a
way that it can also be deployed on older versions.
Apple didn't release Safari 1.2 for MacOSX 10.2
because it relies on a library that requires MacOSX
10.3.

While we can and should expect Revolution to stay up
to date in all areas, bug-free and with things that
other environments don't offer, I also realise what
type of resources this needs.
I'm quite happy with the way it evolves, and with the
focus on bug-fixing for the upcoming and the next
release, I see a lot of the annoying little things
squished, as well as major issues in areas I don't
even use.
And you can rest assured that steps are being taken to
allow for a more modular update system, so bugfixes
can be introduced more rapidly in the future.

Just my two euro-cents,

Jan Schenkel.

=====
"As we grow older, we grow both wiser and more foolish at the same time."  (La Rochefoucauld)

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