Software
Thanks for the info. I have a question- how would you like to reduce the
code in any of your products by (depending on the original size) a healthy
margin? Bruce Dawson and myself are working on a run-time library (like
arp's and the system's) that is about 75% done. We would like some feedback
now before we're finished, so that we can add things (and clean things up)
without making the thing ugly. So…
A quick description:
req.library is a run-time library callable like all standard libraries. It
has two levels of routies- support routines and requester routines. The support
routines include
Window Centering (on mouse)
Gadget Creation (bool, string, prop and SCROLLBAR)
These gadgets are all re-entrant, so you can use them in PURE
programs.
Prop handling functions
and possibly a menu maker. THIS IS IMPORTANT. How many people would
like to have access to a routine that would create menus on the fly (also
re-entrant) at a fraction of the code size? In CygnusEd, Bruce reports a
code reduction of 20k!!! That's going from the standard way of doing things
to using the menu maker. The question is- how many programmers would like
to have this menu maker in the library? When you are specifying your menus,
all you need is the actual text of the menu and an extra 2 bytes for
specifications. Sound nifty?
As to the requester functions, there is a colour requester, a text
requester and a file requester!! This is similar (but mucho improved) to
the file requester found in CED.
The text requester uses the standard Printf() style formatting for
it's text. It's objective is to open a window (with formatted text) under
the mouse, with one or two gadgets (ok, cancel). All as easy to use as
Printf().
Does anyone have any comments or suggestions? Also, would you
commercial developers like to use such a thing (a free file requester? come
on! too good to pass up!)?