Serious applications

Rob Cozens rcozens at pon.net
Wed Feb 25 09:43:16 EST 2004


>has been testing Revolution for a couple of hours and looks a little bit
>inmature

Hi Jose,

Looks can be deceiving: there is power in simplicity.

I have used Transcript to create a generic, hierarchical, 
client/server database.  I am working on a project to convert to 
Transcript an existing suite of HyperTalk business applications, 
currently installed throughout North America &  in New Zealand.  I am 
also in the process of converting a HyperTalk wine production control 
system to Transcript that, when completed will be marketed world-wide 
in a single, multi-lingual, user-translatable version.

The stack script of Serendipity Library is now approaching 5,000 
lines, and someone recently mentioned maintaining a script in excess 
of 8,000 lines.  Add up all the scripts of all the objects involved 
in either application, and I expect you will get a non-trivial result.

To paraphrase a comment I posted previously: as former chair of the 
local MUG's HyperTalk SIG, I have seen "real" (as in "working") 
applications created in HyperTalk by people with no prior programming 
experience; people who in my estimation couldn't write one small 
routine in C.  So which is more immature in terms of software 
development evolution, an environment that nobody but the initiated 
can use at all, or an environment where even non-IS grads can create 
software that is meaningful to them?  If I showed you an oil painting 
done by a 10 year old, could you judge whether the oils & brushes 
used were suitable for a professional artist?

Focus your evaluation on capabilities, not syntax.
-- 

Rob Cozens
CCW, Serendipity Software Company
http://www.oenolog.net/who.htm

"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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