1. Win32 (was: Re: to Rob (perhaps I'm a little bored,
- Posted by Ralf Nieuwenhuijsen <nieuwen at XS4ALL.NL>
Oct 09, 1998
-
Last edited Oct 10, 1998
>I've never actually programmed in Visual Basic but I did
>skim through a manual several times (again, 1000 pages).
Well, I *used* to program in Visual Basic. As far as you would describe
Visual Basic a programming language. Version 1 to 3 were actually easily
usable. Very easy.
However, then it got out of hand. Version 4 and 5, had so many bells &
whistles you would dround. Plus, it consumed lots of memory and resources.
But, you dont need a manual for Visual Basic. I never had one or needed one.
Plus, concerning the 1000 pages. Consider the targeted audience:
Non-programmers/Amateurs and hobyists. Such a manual also covered the whole
basic definition and all its problems. I bet only 100 pages are about the
actual interface, and they will explain things like 'CloseButton is the 'X'
button you use to close a window"
"Be warned, when you close a window, it will not be on the screen anymore,
or in memory at all." .. get my point .. dummy proof documentation. It
annoyed me a lot too, looking up some weird basic command to get it to
convert some value into another, etc.
>Ralf, don't you have Visual Basic? If it's so good, why
>aren't you using it?
Well, consider (this should ring a bell to some one) two cars. One is red,
the other one is blue. The red one is a lot faster than the blue one. Is it
a logical to conclude this must be due to the color ?
In other words, I like the other color of the other car much more, however
that car drives extremely slow. With this anology I mean, that eventhough I
like the implementation and programmer-interface of visual basic 3 much
better, it doesnt mean I like Basic more than Euphoria.
Euphoria is a language. It has two implementations both by the same author
based upon platform.
Basic is a language. It has zillions of implementations all by different
authors based upon different standards, platforms and usages.
What I like about Visual Basic (upto version 3) is the actual
implementation.
But, most of my programming is for fun anyway, and usually doesnt have any
practical purpose. In other words, implementation details are not that
important to me.
The path the win32 is taken is a good one. There is already some one,
developping the actual interface routines, and some one making a vb3 like
interface to use these elements. But we're not there yet. And until we are,
I will support my opinion, that for my case, the implementation of Euphoria
for win32 is not optimal. If not lacking. This is not due to Euphoria.
Maybe, im just being too spoiled to want Euphoria to simplify this for me as
well. But I like wysywyg. And I really recommend, you try to find some disk
with vb1, or vb3 and look at the way it works. You'll be surpised how easily
you design your GUI and how easily it handles your code. If only that code
have been Euphoria.
I just like to have the best of both worlds. Things are not black and white,
are they ?
Ralf
