Learning Revolution

[Frank D. Engel, Jr.]

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As I find the time for it, I might try putting one together for Pascal, 
and maybe even Java or Ada, but this may not happen for a while.

Again, this would be good stuff for a search feature in the Rev docs...


On Mar 8, 2005, at 2:50 PM, Dan Shafer wrote:

> It might be a useful idea for people who know other languages -- 
> RealBASIC, VB, C++, C#, Java, (JavaScript?) -- to come up with a sort 
> of list of equivalents that would enable at least a sort of basic 
> cross-language cross-reference into the Transcript docs.
>
> My guess is that the total number of such links isn't huge for each 
> language.
>
> Dan
>
> On Mar 8, 2005, at 10:51 AM, Richard Gaskin wrote:
>
>> Mark Wieder wrote:
>>> Absolutely spot on. Example: in topics, searching for "static" (as in
>>> "static text") brings up a handful of entries, at least one of which
>>> talks about label fields. However, filtering on "static" brings up a
>>> total of nothing. Nada. Zilch.
>>
>> This must be "static text" week, as the subject has come up 
>> frequently in multiple venues. I believe there may be two cognitive 
>> issues at play, both of which may be addressible in the docs and UI:
>>
>>
>> 1. Implied object types
>>    --------------------
>> This issue could be seen as arising from a mismatch between an object 
>> model inferrable from the Rev IDE UI and the far simpler one in the 
>> underlying language itself.
>>
>> Given the myriad icons in the IDE's tool pallete, and reinforced 
>> through descriptions which suggest a different native object type 
>> like "label field", it's understandable that one might infer that 
>> this is somehow a different object from an ordinary field, and indeed 
>> in many (most?) other languages static text is implemented as a 
>> different class from editable text fields.
>>
>> The actual Transcript object model is much simpler:
>>
>>   Text is displayed in fields.
>>   The lockText property governs whether that text can be edited.
>>
>> I respect the apparent design initiative of the IDE's toolbar, which 
>> allows you to create buttons and fields with a great many properties 
>> preset for greater convenience.
>>
>> But maybe the core question here for learning is:  Could design 
>> enhancements be made which would provide the same level of 
>> convenience enjoyed currently but also make more it more clear that 
>> most of the "object types" are actually variants of a much simpler 
>> set of objects merely with varying property settings?
>>
>>
>> 2. Accomodation of common nomenclature
>>    -----------------------------------
>> "Static text" is a widely-used term in a great many languages and 
>> tools.  Although there is no need for a separate object type to 
>> provide that since Transcript's fields do it well today, it would be 
>> tremendously helpful to have such terms indexed in the docs so that 
>> they point to the corresponding Transcript term/object.
>>
>> Such indexing is difficult, as it requires a significant time 
>> committment from the subset of available resources who understand 
>> multiple tools/language intimately enough to anticipate such 
>> conceptual overlap.
>>
>> So maybe an interim process to start work on such index expansion 
>> might be an extension of the "user notes" facility, which would allow 
>> ad hoc additions to the search endex.  As related terms become 
>> evident, anyone could log them into a pool which is queued for the 
>> next release.
>>
>> It may also be useful to see a reinstatement of the old Getting 
>> Started info, which included specialized orientations for new users 
>> coming from experience with a variety of other tools.  If that were 
>> extended with a reference of common terms and methods from other 
>> popular languages pointing to their Transcript counterparts it could 
>> play a strong role in flattening the learning curve for those picking 
>> up Transcript as a second language.
>>
>> --
>>  Richard Gaskin
>>  Fourth World Media Corporation
>>  __________________________________________________
>>  Rev tools and more: http://www.fourthworld.com/rev
>> _______________________________________________
>> use-revolution mailing list
>> use-revolution at lists.runrev.com
>> http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
>>
>
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>
- -----------------------------------------------------------
Frank D. Engel, Jr.  <fde101 at fjrhome.net>

$ ln -s /usr/share/kjvbible /usr/manual
$ true | cat /usr/manual | grep "John 3:16"
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life.
$
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