breidenb@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Oliver Breidenbach) (01/29/91)
Hi there,
first of all: flames to /dev/null (that seems to be a general NEWS Problem.)
articles to comp.sys.mac.programmers
email to breidenb@informatik.tu-muenchen.de
Next:
The one thing that I missed in the MacOS was a way to let the applications
perform simple tasks without really oppening them and having all the fuss
about teaching somebody about how to use the application. That includes some
kind of batch-language (not a shell) to automatically perform some workarounds.
For example: I have a DBASE (okay, okay, that is a long story) program that
keeps track about some 150 products my company is producing. That includes
pricing, worktime (sorry if that's not proper english), costs for material,
a procduct number and so on. This database is subject to permanent change.
Since we are a small company and don't have a big budget and need that for
more important tasks anyway, it is necessary to convert this database to
ragtime format (ragtime is a great program integrating dtp, spreadsheet and
some database applications) using the apple file exchange utility.
After that we have to do some pre-conversion with word (replacing some
strange characters related with the german language and the funny way dbase
uses field delimiters) and finally import it into a spreadsheet in ragtime.
This task last 20 min at least and can't be performed by one of the
technically unskilled people at the department because there are plenty
of ways to do things wrong.
Since the task is basically very simple if you know WHAT you are doing,
it could easily be performed automatically by a simple batch application if
a) there were such batch application
b) ms word and ragtime were kind of remote controllable.
As I understand, there will be some kind of mechanism in System 7 to enable
remote controlling from outside the application. Will there be a mechanism
to suspend user interface output to the screen at the same time? And will
there be some batch job language?
Second:
I would strongly recommend that any kind of software designed to deal with
some kind of database has an open architecture. That means the data MUST be
accessible from outside the application. There may be restrictions on writing
to fields used by the appliction, but the data must at least be readable. I
hate applications which lock the data away and only let the user access them
via paper or the "export" function.
So PLEASE all developers start programming your applications oon top
of database management systems which support SQL or <apple's own data access
language> or any other. This is the only way we can create really comfortable
and complicated and so on applications which cover all problems appearing
during daily work.
Apple is taking a great step forward by splitting up the programs into
small parts performing destinated jobs perfectly. When will the first WP module
and the first Spreadsheet module be available so that we can start building up
really large business applications?
I'd really like to have a discussion about new strategies to build up large
networkable applications using a system of modules (what, btw, you already
started to do by using the toolbox).
Oliver "Broke" Breidenbach
Oliver Breidenbach, CSD, Technische Universitaet, Muenchen
E-Mail: Oliver.Breidenbach@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.deJim.Spencer@p510.f22.n282.z1.mmug.edgar.mn.org (Jim Spencer) (01/31/91)
Oliver Breidenbach writes in a message to All OB> As I understand, there will be some kind of mechanism in System OB> 7 to enable remote controlling from outside the application. OB> Will there be a mechanism to suspend user interface output to OB> the screen at the same time? And will there be some batch job OB> language? While agreed that this will be easier from System 7, why do you object to doing this from within HyperCard or MPW. You say you don't want a shell but after all, basically that is what the Finder will be in System 7. -- Jim Spencer - via The Minnesota Macintosh Users Group UUCP-Fido Gateway UUCP: ...uunet!tcnet!kksys!edgar!mmug!22.510!Jim.Spencer INET: Jim.Spencer@p510.f22.n282.z1.mmug.edgar.mn.org