File/Picture Chooser Widgets available for Windows XP

Bob Warren robertum at brturbo.com
Tue Jan 17 13:29:38 EST 2006


Dear Ken,

I do hope that all of this doesn't add up to a programming principle I 
learned many years ago. On a different machine, even with the same 
operating system, a program can still crash for reasons which are not 
immediately apparent. We just have to test, test, and test again, on 
machines of all shapes and sizes. The problem might, for example, be one 
of timing. The machine I used to create the widgets is a particularly 
fast one, with a dual processor. If your machine is slower, this might 
somehow cause problems.

Another interesting piece of data is the fact that although the widget 
stacks and standalones work perfectly here on my machine using Win XP 
Pro (SP1), I have Windows ME installed on the same machine, and the 
widgets don't run at all under Win ME! All kinds of crazy things 
occurred. For example, a simple call to a handler on card "Card3" from 
the stack script just caused everything to freeze.

But before I go off and try to find other XP machines to test my 
widgets, I have a thought. I find it strange that you would have 
actually run the programs from Documents and Settings. In certain 
senses, this is a "special" folder that is protected in certain ways 
(but exactly how I can't really say). Please do me the favour of copying 
the the EXE and INI files to some other folder (e.g. C:\kentemp) and let 
me know if you still encounter the same problems.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken Ray wrote:

>On 1/17/06 11:41 AM, "Bob Warren" <robertum at brturbo.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Dear Ken,
>>
>>Thanks very much indeed for the quick feedback. My hair began to stand
>>on end at the bugs you seem to have found until I read the following:
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Ken Ray wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>For troubleshooting, I'm running WinXP Pro, SP2, and the path to the
>>>folder I downloaded and executed stuff from is:
>>>      
>>>
>>>c:\Documents and >Desttings\Ken\Desktop\RunRev_Chooser_Widgets_DEMO_PACK_2
>>>      
>>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>I suspect that you might not have read "__readme.txt".
>>    
>>
>
>Actually, I did, but...
>
>  
>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>The point is that the EXE files can be run from any folder, accompanied
>>by their respective INI's. But if you run the DEMO stack, the default
>>folder becomes that of Revolution itself, and the demo stack expects to
>>find the widget EXEs in the same folder (i.e. that of Revolution).
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Did you follow the instructions? If not, please try it. If so, please
>>let me know as soon as you can so that I can look into the problems
>>involved (somehow). Here, I am using WinXP Pro, SP1, and the widgets
>>work perfectly in all respects.
>>    
>>
>
>Actually I was not running the Rev file, but only the EXEs, which should
>work from any folder (as you identified). So unfortunately the bugs still
>stand. :-(
>
>  
>
>>>5) I really think it would be great to add a "resizable" option to
>>>      
>>>
>>the INI
>>    
>>
>>>files, which would start at the predefined width/height, and allow
>>>      
>>>
>>the user
>>    
>>
>>>at runtime to resize it if they wanted to.
>>>      
>>>
>>This is already in the pipeline for #2.
>>Although the overall size of the widget can be changed through the INI
>>file, the proportion of the widths of the left (folders) pane and the
>>right (files) pane is fixed at 2/3:1/3. This may be more or less correct
>>generically, but of course the convenience of this proportion depends
>>heavily on the lengths of the user's folder names and file names!
>>
>>Another way of handling it would be to maintain the fixing of the
>>overall window size in the INI file, but to allow the operator to drag
>>the division between the left and right panes (e.g. as in the CHM-style
>>RR Help).
>>
>>Or perhaps both would be better: allow the operator to re-size the
>>window AND drag the division between the L-R panes.
>>    
>>
>
>Agreed.
>
>  
>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>    
>>
>>>6) I'd suggest making the INI files follow the real INI format
>>>(param=value), that way it eliminates potential issues with people
>>>      
>>>
>>wanting
>>    
>>
>>>to change one param on line 5, but accidentally changing one on line
>>>      
>>>
>>6. If
>>    
>>
>>>you do that, you can use "split" to easily get the data into a readable
>>>form.
>>>      
>>>
>>I thought of doing it that way, but then decided against it. But I'm not
>>being dogmatic about it. If you don't mind, I think I'll hang fire on
>>that one for the moment until you get the existing version working and I
>>see what the opinion of other users is. OK?
>>    
>>
>
>Fine by me...
>
>  
>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>I have not received any Use_Revolution lists for over a day now, so I am
>>not sure what feedback has/has not been published. I presume that you
>>wrote to me off-list?
>>    
>>
>
>Yes.
>
>  
>
>>I am sure you will not mind if I post this reply
>>to the List. Apart from stressing the importance of reading the README
>>file, I think the points you have raised would be of general interest. OK?
>>    
>>
>
>Sure! 
> 
>  
>
>>Once again, many thanks for your useful feedback (as always).
>>    
>>
>
>No problem...
>
>
>Ken Ray
>Sons of Thunder Software
>Web site: http://www.sonsothunder.com/
>Email: kray at sonsothunder.com
>
>
>
>
>  
>





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