the "script manager" in Stable Squeak
Ned Konz
ned at bike-nomad.com
Thu May 24 16:25:21 UTC 2001
On Thursday 24 May 2001 08:56, Lex Spoon wrote:
> It's a wonderful project overall, but I don't like the script manager.
> Here's why:
[warning: My comments are based on just reading Göran's article]
> 1. The scripts appear to be based on text, instead of on
> PasteUpMorph's. Text is pretty general in Squeak, but PasteUpMorph's
> are much better.
My impression of the ScriptManager is that it's just a fancy Workspace with
semi-permanent texts attached.
> 2. There is a single global hierarchy. Wouldn't it be better to have a
> web connected with hyperlinks?
I'm not sure what the ScriptManager is supposed to be. If it's just a
Workspace Organizer, then hyperlinks wouldn't be all that helpful. The top
level organization beats a single big list of snippets. If it's a book, the
organization might be improved by links.
> 3. The texts are accessed from a single window. Basically, I directly
> disagree that "all those workspaces windows" is bad -- multiple windows
> is a terrific, modern way to talk to a computer.
Is there any reason you couldn't have multiple ScriptManagers open?
> 4. Every title has a number with it for ordering. This bothers me to
> the bone. Things should just *have* an order, one way or the other, and
> we shouldn't need such a hackish encoding.
In another of the pictures the numbers are missing. I suspect that this is
just an implementation detail (that there is no UI for re-ordering things,
and someone used a SortedCollection).
> So instead of this Script Manager, let me propose two different
> approaches that stay closer to Squeak's spirit:
>
> 1. Use BookMorphs, and code up an option for textual tables of
> contents. The table of contents seems to be the big win here;
> everything else in the Script Manager is a step back from what's already
> possible with BookMorphs.
If you're making a Book. If you're making a multiple-code-snippet organizer,
then something simpler would be an advantage. BookMorphs don't include
Workspace functionality (editing, variable binding, etc.)
> 2. Use projects and hyperlinks. This appears to be the emerging idiom
> for large presentations in Squeak, so why not go along with it?
> Probably there will be quirks, but it would seem better to work out the
> quirks than to dump it and go back to the text age.
Note that Stable Squeak probably wants to remain UI-independent, so that a
Morphic-only solution wouldn't be the best bet for someone wanting to
jettison Morphic for an embedded system.
--
Ned Konz
currently: Stanwood, WA
email: ned at bike-nomad.com
homepage: http://bike-nomad.com
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