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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