goldstein@arecibo.aero.org (Samuel Goldstein) (10/19/89)
Hi. I'm involved in a project that requires extensive Rapid Prototyping (RP) and Ultra-Rapid Prototyping (URP). We're designing user interfaces that require on-site adjustment. Once we can get a good interface that the end users like, we will move up to a Vaxstation or something, but until we settle on a specific interface, we've been using a Mac IIx and the Card programs. Hypercard is preferable, but we don't have the XMDS required to obtain multiple windows and color, so we have been using Supercard (and don't like it). Enough background. The problem is that even to create the "shadow" of an involved application (ie, one that mimics the screens without having most of the guts of the program behind them) we need to do a certain amount of computation. Our specific project involves several lists of objects, stored in fields. It must then parse a command in an obsolete language and bold-face certain elements within the lists as specified by that command. The problem is that all this computation takes time, especially in the interpreted Hypercard/Supercard environment. It takes nearly seven seconds to update the screen, including parsing time. We need this, however, to be much faster than this. Finally, the question: Does anyone out there have some advice on how we can get the best of both worlds, speed and extremely accessible flexibility? I don't know anything (yet) about writing XCMDS. Is that the way to go? If so, is there a good book on the subject? Any response whatsoever would be greatly appreciated. Please send email directly to me rather than posting here (unless enough people are interested in similar types of questions... Although I would doubt this.). Thank you (in advance) muchly! ___Samuel___ /-------------------------------------------------------------------\ | I claim and accept sole responsibility for the above. SjG. | |--------------(even if it is for company business)-----------------| | "Let the dignity of others be as precious to you as your own." | \-------------------------------------------------------------------/ RETCODE: ANALOG TRANSMISSION: <goldstein@arecibo.aero.org> (213) 336-3592 8am-5pm M-F