All this talk about DataBases

[Scott Kane]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chipp Walters" <chipp at chipp.com>

> Probably Richard, Jacque or Ken will jump in here and correct me if I'm 
> wrong. But, as I recall, the primary reason for writing MetaCard
> as a total RAM based product was it made it lightning fast. And to this 
> day, it is still a very fast programming environment. In many
> ways, significantly faster than HyperCard.

Thanks, Chipp.

> Remember, the first platforms MetaCard ran on were UNIX based, which had 
> virtual memory, so there wasn't a big problem regarding having too
> little memory. Also, having  RAM based stacks virtually eliminated the 
> dreaded stack corruption so prevalent in HC and SC. How many times did
> any of us lose data to that particular problem!

I've read about this from time to time.  As I know you'll be aware we have 
this problem on Windows no matter what we do to the file or the file 
type -but it's become a heck of a lot better since Windows 2000 and up.

> While Bill Atkinson certainly was a very talented programmer, and 
> HyperCard at that time probably demanded a disk-based and Assembly
> programmed effort, it was probably not the best choice for programming 
> languages concerning serviceability. SuperCard, which came later, was
> based on a bit easier to maintain language, and while not quite as fast as 
> HC, was very respectable in terms of performance.

I see.

> I have as much respect...if not more, for Scott Raney's efforts taking the 
> best parts of HC, speeding them up significantly and architecting
> a solution for multiple platforms. You only need be around during the MC 
> days to recall what a perfectionist and stickler for details (esp
> bugs) he was. His journey and product has lasted much longer than HC's, 
> partly because of architecture, partly because of business
> savvy, and mostly because it solved problems in ways no other software 
> did.

The latter is what makes Rev so facinatning to me.  It does stuff I could do 
in other languages but the time and effort involved in doing it outways the 
usability of Rev.

> Also, let's not forget, before the Mac there was Xerox PARC, and their own 
> 'lamer' version of MacPaint. Before HyperTalk, there was
> SmallTalk. I only mention this because in some way or another, all 
> software is derivative. Don't get me wrong. Andy and Bill were two of
> the brightest lights ever to program.

Haven't heard reference to Xerox PARC for several years now.  I agree, 
software is without doubt derivative.  Coming to transcript relatively 
recently (only a few years and admittedly grocking it properly even more 
recently) was both surprising, initially alarming and incredibly refreshing. 
My own experience of programming has never been anything like transcript. 
I'm sure other people using other IDE's and compilers would agree.

Scott Kane
CD Too - Voice Overs Artist  & Original Game and Royalty Free Multi-Media 
Music
"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start
today and make a new ending." -- Maria Robinson