<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">Rob,<br><br></span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">I think the BuoyBuilder video provides a good example of what we should
<br>be able to do, only better. In our case the builder would be part of the<br>environment, so you don't need the separate edit-compile steps. I didn't<br>follow some of the "wiring" parts of the demo, but it seemed to be more
<br>complicated than what we should have to do, given the right model and<br>widgets.</blockquote><div><br>I didn't follow the "wiring" either. Thats where I thought maybe you could do something more "visual" even if you weren't fully "representing the model." I definitely agree that it seemed too complicated and that someone should be able to do better! I think this is why many in the VB6 crowd is so "upset" about VB .NET. More things are "possible," but it got...complicated. And, while it was never as "live" as Squeak, there was not really an edit-compile step. Maybe I'll have to play around with the [BuoyBuilder] download so I can make a more informed statement than that.
<br> </div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Your SQL analogy points to an important aspect of the GUI model: how to<br>define components that can be reused. For a GUI builder to scale well it
<br>must be possible to construct reusable composite widgets. I'm hoping<br>that the MVP pattern will help with this, as seems to be happening in<br>Dolphin.</blockquote><div><br>I think I will have to read up on MVP. Do you know a good place to start? My only experience with building new "widgets" is for VB, and it is really not a lot of fun. I'm not sure how to make it better, but I think I can give you lots of ideas on how NOT to do it! Do you play around with other flavors of Smalltalk to get ideas?
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">A visual representation of the model sounds appealing, but that's a real<br>blue-sky project.
</blockquote><div><br>Blue-sky, but I have some ideas that will need...WIDGETS! And, it would be easier to build with a, um, GUI builder!<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
But it does bring to mind another feature I'd love to<br>see: some way to tie documentation (including graphics) to code in a<br>more natural and useful fashion. This could be be especially useful in<br>understanding the dynamics of an MVP situation.
</blockquote><div><br>What do you picture? I always think of these things like "going inside" the program...kind of like a Project Morph. You know, you "go inside" the GUI to get to the code (generally by clicking/double-clicking/middle-click, etc...). Maybe you could "go inside" classes or chunks of code that you could mark. Natural would be excellent, though. And fun! Maybe it would make documenting as much fun as programming! I think in the end I picture those 3D virtual-reality views they always use in a futuristic Sci-fi movie. Some way that you could interact with your interface and learn about it at the same time...
<br></div></div><br><br>Finally, I am just having a bit of trouble getting wxWidgets up and running so I can build your wxSqueak 0.4.1 VM. I'll let you know when I have that figured out...<br><br>Take care,<br><br>RobR<br>