Losing sight of the point . . .

Rob Cozens rcozens at pon.net
Sat Dec 3 13:02:06 EST 2005


Hi Richmond,

>Is RUNTIME REVOLUTION a:
>
>1. 'Toy' programming environment (c.f. PPT)?

That was HyperStudio

>2. An extremely sophisticated programming environment for
>full-time programmers?

I could make a case for that.

>3. Hypercard with a few dialectal differences and
>possibilities to widen one's vocabulary?

It didn't take me long to find that RunRev is much more oriented 
toward professional developers than HyperCard: most of my rescripting 
was removing externals or library routines I had written and 
replacing them with Transcript's extended syntax.


Had I ventured a comment on the "Why isn't Rev more popular?" thread, 
it would have started from the premise that, like HyperCard, RunRev 
cannot be simply catagorized in the classic definition schemes 
commonly used by computer professionals, users, or software 
revewers.  And xTalks still suffer today because Apple management, 
professional developers, and software reviewers could not place a 
label on HyperCard and tried to compare it with software that 
couldn't touch it in terms of functionality or productivity.

One of the group projects undertaken by the North Coast Mac User 
Group's HyperCard SIG was a stack containing a card for each member, 
giving his/her answers to two questions:

         1.  What is HyperCard?
         2.  How do you use it?

Every answer was unique, insightful, and correct--from that person's 
perspective.

In the past, I have likened HyperCard/RunRev to a set of paints & brushes:

         * Anyone can create something that is meaningful to them
         * The range of creations is broader than any single category
         * Some people can create masterpieces

Are the paints & brushes toys or professional artist's tools?

So the answer to your question is "All of the above...and more."

Rob Cozens CCW
Serendipity Software Company

"And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
  Who are a little wise, the best fooles bee."

  from "The Triple Foole" by John Donne (1572-1631) 




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