> This is one of those extremely rare occasions when I find > myself in agreement with Micha. This isn't just a technology > issue, there's a lot of application design considerations > behind this stuff and it *is* hard. Like OO is hard. Sure, a > few folks get it straight away and some folks struggle and > eventually get enough of it to become competent but most > people don't (they *think* they get it but...). > > Google Maps and so on requires more than competence. Stuff > like that is not within the reach of the average programmer. > Sorry, but that's a fact of life.
Yes, compared to CF programming in general, DHTML interfaces are hard. Just because something is hard doesn't make it out of reach of the average programmer. I'm sorry, but you're simply setting the bar too low. Programming is relatively hard, compared to many other occupations! We have been developing applications like this for years. Any attendee of the DC CFUG/WAMMO groups can attest to that, as we would present them very frequently. Typically, the initial development would be done by extremely skilled people, but we would regularly bring on developers to maintain (and extend) these applications. These developers would typically be competent, but relatively inexperienced with DHTML development. And yet they would be able to learn what they needed to successfully maintain the applications! Imagine that! Interestingly enough, we found we could make more money by providing simpler interfaces for most applications - clients simply didn't see the value of the more powerful interface. So, we haven't really been working on these sorts of interfaces nearly as much lately as, say, two years ago. Perhaps now that it has a snappy buzzword, we'll see an upturn in people wanting that sort of functionality. > Micha is just saying don't promise your boss you can write an > application like Google Maps. Start small (and make sure you > test in every browser to make sure your application degrades > gracefully if it doesn't work perfectly). Wise words, I'll agree. But I'm not sure that's what he was saying, and it sure isn't what you said above. Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software http://www.figleaf.com/ Fig Leaf Software provides the highest caliber vendor-authorized instruction at our training centers in Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, or on-site at your location. Visit http://training.figleaf.com/ for more information! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Logware (www.logware.us): a new and convenient web-based time tracking application. Start tracking and documenting hours spent on a project or with a client with Logware today. Try it for free with a 15 day trial account. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=67 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:199365 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
