Kickstarter 2013 Revisited

[Trevor DeVore]

On Sunday, May 10, 2015, Bjoernke von Gierke <bvg at mac.com> wrote:

>
> > On 11 May 2015, at 02:31, Trevor DeVore <lists at mangomultimedia.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > I have 20 or so widgets that I've written for a project I'm working on
> > which add UI controls to the project. None of these make any calls to OS
> > APIs. They just use the LiveCode Builder language to draw shapes,
> > render SVG path data, and respond to events.
>
> These are examples where previously one would have used externals. Because
> unless LC itself would faciliate them, like with simpler types of GUI
> objects, that's all one could do. I hear that you disagree on that, but I
> still think that this is primarily a small upgrade to external
> functionality.


I see. It seems we just have different ways in which we have used
externals. I haven't used an external to create UI controls like the ones I
have created with widgets. For me it is definitley a huge upgrade so count
me as happy.

I'd even argue that a way to have LC native created "widgets" for the GUI
> stuff would be far superior to what is in development.

Instead there's now some other, slightly similar language, using SVG
> syntax, which is a lot more complex then how LC interacts with screen
> coordinates.


The drawing routines in LCB give us access to the Google Skia libraries
that LiveCode uses to render controls. The team has been adding syntax to
make common things easier and more natural to write (eg rounded corners).
I'm sure some things can be simplified even further. LCB is still in an
infant state but I think it has so much potential.


> So why did RunRev not add SVG capabilities and the needed flexibility to
> the existing LC syntax, why a different language that is less approachable?
> because they want it to make more approachable of course :-(
>

What is less approachable today isn't necessarily less approachable
tomorrow. LCB seems to provide the foundation for a single language that
allows for free form coding without thought of variable types while
allowing us to type them in case we want to access OS APIs. All without
resorting to C! It allows us to type variables to improve error checking
or so that code can run more efficiently (at least in the future). The way
I see it, I can write my core libraries in a strict manner so I reduce
errors. When I am prototyping or messing around with ideas I will be able
to forget about types and just focus on my idea.  I love the flexibility!

I suppose that LCB is also necessary for Open Language to become a reality.

Here is to hoping that LCB and widgets will one day exceed your
expectations Bjoernke. If they do then we all win.

-- 
Trevor DeVore