I hesitate to enter this discussion. I have
so little feel for the market.
However, on a personal level, I think a good book on RunRev is the best thing that could happen right now. Certainly the product is sufficiently mature that it is truly ready for prime time. It has gone far beyond HyperCard in speed of execution, breadth of coverage and variety of platforms.
However, on a personal level, I think a good book on RunRev is the best thing that could happen right now. Certainly the product is sufficiently mature that it is truly ready for prime time. It has gone far beyond HyperCard in speed of execution, breadth of coverage and variety of platforms.
I first became interested in xTalk
programming through HC. And I doubt that would have happened had it
not been for the Winkler-Kamins-DeVoto book. I thought it was just
brilliant. A perfect blend of theory (about a hundred pages) and
extensive examples. I agree fully with Richard that the best teacher
is experience. But a good example is experience
on-a-stick.
I taught Physics for 30 years, and although
I had a passion for the theory, I always knew, deep down, that the
only way to get through to students was through meaningful examples
and penetrating homework.
(By the way, my real interest in HC then, and RR now, is in education. I think the time will come when programming is taught routinely in High School and x-Talk is the ideal vehicle for the High School student. There is certainly a book needed there. It would be aimed at students interested in science--there are a dozen students who pursue a science career for every one that becomes an application programmer. Programming is mostly about algorithms-schemes-and less about implementation and so the language chosen for the beginning programmer is the one which facilitates though and not one which is CPU friendly. But it is very difficult to break through the inertia of the entrenched High School curriculum. Trouble is, the teacher who might initiate a HS course would be one with a background in programming and not in the sciences. As you see I have a real bias here. My apologies; I suspect that the majority on this list has quite a different bent.)
Right now, this list fills the book void,
and it does so brilliantly. But there are many questions that users
don't know to ask (I'm sure I have no idea what RR is truly capable
of) or are too embarrassed, despite the grace with which newbie
question are handled..
I think RR is more than half-way there with
its excellent documentation. Add a little theory (100 pages), and
follow with the existing dictionary but *add useful example scripts*
to the definitions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
True, it would couldn't cover everything and it would soon become outdated. But an on-line addendum could help to solve these problems.
I cannot begin to imagine the effort and
imagination that has created this product, beginning with the concept
in HC, on to the expansion with MC, now the polish of RR. RR is ready
for prime time. And "RunRev 2.0, The Book" would make
that announcement.
Jim
