Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!wugate!uunet!microsoft!t-wader
From: t-wader@microsoft.UUCP (Wade Richards)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Gadgets and 1.4..
Message-ID: <8264@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 29 Oct 89 00:32:58 GMT
References: <2260@nigel.udel.EDU> <1989Oct22.210850.6138@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: t-wader@microsoft.UUCP (Wade Richards)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
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Disclaimer: I don't always agree with my boss, why should he agree with me?

In article <1989Oct22.210850.6138@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) writes:
=}In article <2260@nigel.udel.EDU> CSD29_R3%UNO.BITNET@vm.tcs.tulane.edu writes:
=}>
=}>  I keep seeing all of these posts about a revamped sizing gadget for WB1.4.
=}>Something to the effect that most of you don't like the fact that the sizing
=}>gadgets will be next to each other in a window.  Well here's what I suggest.
=}>  A WINDOW EDITOR.  Yes folks, a WINDOW EDITOR.  Within this editor, we would
=}
=}With all due respect, I think that this would be a terrible idea.
=}[...]
=}However, we, in the Amiga community have been torn between two opposing ends:
=}	1) To have the neatest, most powerful and configurable computer out
=}	   there
=}	2) To make sure that everyone else in the world knew about part 1),
=}	   by buying an Amiga and using all the neat software available for it
=}
=}[...]
=}                                   The new CEO of Commodore, Harry Copperman,
=}has mandated that there be a standard file requester (and other parts of the
=}user interface) available for all developers to use, in order to present
=}a consistent user interface, as the Macintosh has managed.
=}[...]
=}    So, in general, I am advocating getting all your opinions in NOW,
=}[...]

OK, my opinion:

Well, this is someone else's opinion, I just borrowed it (read in TransAmiga
a while back.  Can't give credit 'cause I can't remember who wrote it.)

A consistant user interface is important, for both users and developers.  For
users, it has to be friendlly, and they have to like it.  For developers, it
has to be powerful and complete.

The suggestion is to define a user interface standard, not a standard user
interface.  The actual interface would be in a library.  The programmer
simply opens "interface.library", and calls the file-requester that is in
there.  Commodore would, of course, provide a default "interface.library",
but when people don't like it, they can replace it with thier own.  This
lets us have a window editor, our own unique requestors, and anything else
we want, while still having a consistant interface.  (If all my programs
use "interface.library", and I change it, then the interface remains
consistent.)  The only problem is inconsistancies accross machines.

This also allows me to have requestors come up in French, Italian, or biniary
if I like, and neither Commodore or the application writers have to make any
attempt to support this.

	--- Wade