[comp.lang.eiffel] Followup to Dec. msg on the GNU Emacs Eiffel browser

weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner) (01/09/90)

I know I'm going to get some mail about this, but I figured it would be
better to inform people than to leave them hanging.  In December I asked
this newsgroup who would be interested in a fast Eiffel browser that
worked with GNU Emacs.  I received about 15 positive responses (more
than I expected) yet interestingly (from ISE's vantage point) no one
mentioned any willingness to pay for such a thing.

I hate to be a software hoarder but I do work for a commercial
enterprise.  The status is that the browser basically became too good
too fast and may now be considered proprietary by management (no
decision has yet been made).  But I can't do anything until we do make a
decision.  Truthfully, a basic inheritance browser is not a terribly
hard program to write if you know what your doing.  In fact, the same
browser now works with Eiffel, C++, and Objective-C.

So you can wait, you can write one for yourself, or you could encourage
ISE to understand that such a thing should be integrated with a popular
UNIX editor such as GNU Emacs and have them write one and sell it as
part of their commercial toolset.

Now if someone has a good Eiffel routine call tree analyzer, we should talk.
-- 
Bob Weiner, Motorola, Inc.,   USENET:  ...!gatech!uflorida!novavax!weiner
(407) 364-2087

paj@mrcu (Paul Johnson) (01/22/90)

>....  In December I asked this newsgroup who would be interested in a
>fast Eiffel browser that worked with GNU Emacs.  I received about 15
>positive responses (more than I expected) yet interestingly (from
>ISE's vantage point) no one mentioned any willingness to pay for such
>a thing.
>
>I hate to be a software hoarder but I do work for a commercial
>enterprise.  The status is that the browser basically became too good
>too fast and may now be considered proprietary by management (no
>decision has yet been made).
....
>Bob Weiner, Motorola, Inc.,   USENET:  ...!gatech!uflorida!novavax!weiner
>(407) 364-2087

I was one of those who responded positively.  I did not offer to pay
because (I guess) I am spoilt: software-for-money on the net is a rare
thing.

I see Bob's point (and his management's point as well).  Round here
getting and order for something out of the door involves a certain
amount of red tape and signatures of authorised persons.  It can be
done, but you have to be able to show that a) you need it and b) it
can't be got cheaper somewhere else.  This is all very fine and good
for large orders, but smaller ones have a high overhead.

How much is Bob's company planning on asking?

BTW before anyone flames Bob for using the net for commercial
purposes, bear in mind that he made the offer before his managers
started wondering how much it was worth.  Now we know about it, we are
wondering how to get it.

Please note that I do not speak for GEC.  These are personal opinions
only.

Paul.



-- 
Paul Johnson | Internet: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc | Phone: +44 245 73331 ext 3216
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