What would it take to renew my enthusiasm for LiveCode?

[David Bovill]

I'm doing quite a lot of integration now between Livecode web export and
web applications - the dance between them was always complicated - for a
few reasons that no longer seem to be the case. I'm not 100% sure yet, but
it looks good - subtle engine improvements (notably standard engine level
json handling) and better two-way javascript help, but the main thing is
the documentation fix that (please don't shout) comes through Marvin having
a deep understanding of software and the Livecode architecture - this means
when I want to fill those technical gaps that were confusing in the
documentation, and too slow or difficult to get from the list + forums +
Livecode themselves - I can ask the question in a rough direct way (without
embarassment) and get a great response in seconds (not 6 months ago but now
and getting better) - then and even more important I can ask Marvin for
some demos and test stacks - make some coffee - come back test them - ask
more questions in a fun direct way.

I miss doing that on the list - but the speed and fun cheerful helpfulness
of the ai route is a good stand-in. Bringing them together is the holy
grail. For Hitchhikers we'll be going out to communities to help write the
tone and character of Marvin (and other characters) - but we'll also be
crowd sourcing the widgets and "things that need fixing" - which mightbe
integrating with Wordpress better. It's the social side, and the economic
model of that sharing - how provenance and attribution works that gets
sticky / tricky. I'd love more human freinds on that journey.

On Mon, 10 Aug 2026 at 02:04, Alex Tweedly via use-livecode <
use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:

> Great question Bill. And one I have been asking myself for a while now.
>
> There are many similarities : I am a long time user, I used to do lots
> of programming projects in LC, but haven't found much enthusiasm, or
> even much use, for LC recently.
>
> Here's the short version of my answer currently:
>
> 1. Recognise that the need for (almost all) apps to work on
> phone/tablet, combined with the difficulties of ever-changing
> Apple/Google requirements means that "deploy to web" is extremely
> important - and make it central, rather than (as it currently feels) an
> unimportant side-issue.
>
> that means:
>
> a. complete it - adjust to window size changes, document what kind of
> local storage is available and how to use it, make.a *simple* way to
> handle splash-screen / loading message, etc., make sure that I *never*
> see or need the Javascript console or similar junk.
>
> b. accept that any apps used on web will need user registration / login
> /auth - and provide either a library or a sample that provides a simple,
> but extensible, way to do that.
>
> 2. a major feature is the data store - document it. Create example apps
> that show off how to use it.
>
> 3. Many apps are (basically) an update to using Excel to manage some
> data - so make it trivial to provide a CSV/TSV/XLS file and from it
> create a data table, a single element form for entry/update, a
> spreadsheet (or datagrid) view with editing, ..... Allow a way to add
> constraints and verification rules.
>
> 4. STOP making new widgets that are simply a (poor) replacement for
> existing functionality.
>
> case study : there are (fairly recent) widgets for "Date Picker" and
> "Date field". Date picker is a widget that kind of does the same thing
> as many previously available user sample stacks did - only it lacks many
> obvious features, and is not easily modifiable or extensible. It should
> be discarded and replaced by an (open source) script-only widget based
> on the most functionally complete available stack - e.g. Sarah
> Reichelt's (sp?) or Hugh Senior's - but built as a script-only widget so
> the complexity and installation idiosyncrasies are overcome.
>
> (And it is sad that those are something like 20-year old stacks, and
> this widget appears now with so much less capability).
>
> The date field widget should be a thin layer over the date picker - but
> it isn't. It has its own built-in date picker, which is missing many of
> the config options or features available in the date picker widget. So
> instead of being "badly underspecified" it is "pathetically
> underspecified".
>
> and I'll throw in a wild-card:
>
> 5. do a deal with Canela Software to use either the Appli Player, or to
> create a LC player with the same base technology.
>
> and finally,
>
> 6. Make it easier (i.e. better documented with examples) to create
> script-only widgets. AFAIK, it's only documented in a lesson, and there
> is no (obvious) description of how to create the documentation for the
> widget. Create a method to contribute / download such widgets.
>
> Best,
>
> Alex.
>
> On 09/08/2026 01:02, William Prothero via use-livecode wrote:
> > Folks, I have used LiveCode for most of my projects in the past, but
> have found it irrelevant to much of my work in Wordpress. It would be great
> to be able to used LiveCode for some of my projects. Here’s what stops me.:
> > 1) development still seems “in progress” with bugs regularly reported
> > 2) I don’t see any easily tested and built upon “starter” stacks that
> can be informative and that demonstrate examples of important operations.
> > 3) It seems that all of the security (regularly changing) Apple
> registration requirements are not needed for internet apps. Web
> applications should be much easier to implement.
> >
> > I may be wrong on the above, but it appears that  livecode’s web based
> apps do not invite new users to join and experiment in the style of
> HyperCard that encouraged newbies to “jump on in”, with immediate success
> on simple calculations and that encourage more exploration.
> >
> > In the past, I did a lot of programming in Macromedia Director’s
> programming language, which had super web animation capabilities, as well
> as other programming capabilities. It was dropped (no longer supported)
> when it was purchased by Adobe. Too bad. It was a good model for easily
> deployed web applications.
> > So, that’s where I’m at. I’m disappointed, but am retired anyway and
> don’t do as much programming as I used to.
> >
> > Best to you all
> > Bill
> >
> > William Prothero
> > UCSB Prof, retired.
> >
> >
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