Call for comments: Rev as a Second Language

[Dave]

Hi,

> I went like:
>
> Basic --> Pascal --> C --> Group Therapy and Counseling --> Visual
> Basic --> Delphi --> REBOL --> Lisp/Scheme --> REALBasic -->
> Revolution \o/
>

Interesting! My language history was:

Assembler/More Assembler/More Assembler/Dartmouth Basic/Assembler/ 
SNOBOL4/SPITBOL/LISP/C/Pascal/C++/RunRev/RealBasic/SQL/Objective-C

The only time I've felt like I needed Counseling is when I have been  
using RunRev!

The problem with getting people's experiences of RunRev is that you  
would have to have been using it for a while before such experiences  
would be meaningful and RunRev has changed so much. For instance I  
started using it on Version 2.1. If I'd have started on V 3.0 (the  
latest version??), I'd most likely run into a different set of  
problems. However, I think a book something like this would be  
useful, but I'd call it:

"Things that are relatively easy to do in other environments but  
difficult or impossible using RunRev"

In here I'd put all the things that you take for granted in other  
environments and assume would be easy in RunRev, as a starter:

1.  Lack of multi-tasking, e.g. it is very difficult or impossible to  
get a progress bar to work in the same way as other environments.

2.  URL handling, explain the dreaded "Previous Request not Complete"  
message and that it is extremely difficult or impossible to have  
multiple threads using LibURL etc.

3.  Development cycle. This is probably the hardest part to grasp  
when coming to RunRev from a more traditional environment such as  
XCode or Visual Studio. The fact that this no "Edit", "Compile",  
"Test" cycle and that the program (stack) runs even in IDE mode.  
Explain how to get around problems caused when there is a bug in the  
"preOpen" handlers of a stack.

4.  Debugging, explain that the Debugger is part of the IDE and as  
such may or may not be suitable to debug your problem.

5. Standalone. Explain how to make a multi-stack standalone. Give  
some debugging hints and tips as to how to debug problems that only  
occur on a standalone.

6.  Lack of support, explain that RunRev will most likely do nothing  
to help you figure out the above problems and you are pretty much at  
the mercy of a voluntary mailing list.

There are more, but off the top I can't think of any!

If I'd have had a document like this before I started, I either  
wouldn't have started using it in the first place or if I had, I'd  
have designed around the above problems.

All the Best
Dave