Re: Documentation and pointers

From: [at]} <René>
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 22:14:00 +0200

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I think that there would be a few things that Omic should do to make life easier, and there are things that the community should do.

Naturally, since Omic is a small business, the things that Omic CAN do are limited, therefor they need to optimize what they are doing.

Let me give you an example. Some years ago I wanted to use the FOXPRO database system with BlackBox. So, the first thought was to implement a driver for FoxPro. I looked at the documentation and found out that though I know a lot about DB,
and though my programming skills and my CP skills are not that bad, I didn't even have a hint how to start this. If the DtfDriver-Source would have been included, and if this source would have a minimum of insource documentation, I am
contend that I would have known what to do. So, that's what Omic can do: provide more of the actual sources of their subsystems.


On the other hand, when working on a project, one gets to know the FrameWork better, and then one can add this knowledge to a database, maybe even a Wiki-Site (http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki). That's what the users can do.

Now, for the promotion of BB, I also think that there are things that Omic must do, and things that the users may do.

Omic should do the general decisions, like: Is BB a Windows-Software, or is one of the great strenghts of BB portability. If it is portability, then we need BB on other platforms, especially LINUX. What do we need portability for, when
there is no other platform we can port to? So if portability is not the issue, then we need to concentrate on Windows, which results in a much better support for that platform. I for my part would suggest that portability weighs heavier...

And what does the community have to do? Well, we have to produce components that are also interesting for NON-programmers. End-user components. Some of them should be open-source or at least freeware, others should be for regular sale,
because people get suspicious if all is free. And those subsystems should be published in two versions: As stand-alone programs, and as subsystems. By promoting our own software, we will then promote BB, and people will see that BB is not
only an academic toy, but something really usable.

Rene




Wojtek Skulski wrote:

> On Sun, 3 Aug 2003, Warford, Stan wrote:
>
> > Fourth, it seems to me that what is missing in the community is
> > a voluntary BlackBox Users Group (BBUG) that is independent
> > from the company and that maintains its own web site to which
> > people can contribute and use as a resource. I would be willing
> > to host the site on a computer in our lab, but would have no time
> > to maintain it.

>
> Stan, have you looked at Helmut's web site www.zinnamturm.de which
> is a valuable resource for BB users?
>
> Just to let you know, we used your book during the summer student
> research project (Research Experience for Undergraduates, REU).
> We worked with a student who joined our group for the summer.
> He learned BB from your book with a great success. The software
> he helped develop will be contributed to the Helmut website after
> the project is completed.
>
> I am looking forward to read your materials about view programming
> which is, well, not easy.
>
> Wojtek
>
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Received on Wed Aug 13 2003 - 22:14:00 UTC

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