NAVRAD was: lcb missing manual

[Alex Tweedly]

On 15/09/2022 16:37, Ralph DiMola via use-livecode wrote:
> Docs aside... I still think that widgets and lcb is one of best additions to
> LC. Community collaboration like this will make for better documentation and
> more new/improved widgets. A robust library of widgets can only help LC to
> penetrate the market. If only we had these when I started...

I so much want to agree - but unfortunately it looks to me more like the 
biggest missed opportunity.

The combination of widgets and LCB is a powerful one (and may indeed be 
one of the best additions). But I think if you unpick and pull apart the 
two parts (widget vs LCB) then there is what looks, to the naive 
observer like me, a missed chance.

Widgets + LCB gives us (amongst other things):

1. naming + distribution + installation schemes.

2. integration with the docs / dictionary and IDE tools (inspectors, 
editors)

3. efficient "direct" drawing to canvas

4. typed variables

5. access to foreign languages / libraries.

6. maybe potential for future performance gains.


But of those, only the last two *require* LCB; the others *could* have 
been done in a way that allows LCScript authors to benefit. (1) and (2) 
are clearly feasible for LCS almost without change from what's been done 
for LCB widgets, and I have to believe it would have been possible to 
provide LCS commands and functions to manipulate the canvas.

Given those three things, many of the widgets (e.g. rotatedtext, navRAD) 
look like they could have been done easily using LCS.

I still hold on to the hope that this will become a feature in some 
future release. And when (if) it ever does, then maybe we will see "1000 
widgets by Christmas" because it will be so much more approachable for 
the average LS Scripter.

Alex.