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From: urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (Matthias Urlichs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Comm.Toolbox: A solution for multiple FT configuration?
Message-ID: <1277@smurf.ira.uka.de>
Date: 8 Dec 89 20:54:05 GMT
References: <9125@hoptoad.uucp> <36869@apple.Apple.COM> <TIME.89Dec1180135@oxtrap.oxtrap.UUCP> <37000@apple.Apple.COM> <6576@drilex.UUCP>
Reply-To: urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (Matthias Urlichs)
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Lines: 39

In comp.sys.mac.programmer, dricejb@drilex.UUCP (Craig Jackson drilex1) writes:
<In article <37000@apple.Apple.COM> austing@Apple.COM (Glenn L. Austin) writes:
<>In article <TIME.89Dec1180135@oxtrap.oxtrap.UUCP> time@oxtrap.UUCP writes:
<>
<>All that you need to know about a tool is the format and content of the
<>configuration string, which is pretty simple -- parameter and value, separated
<>by a space [...]
< Which still leaves the problem of having to know about the configuration
< string syntax of all possible tools which may be selected.  I think there's
< an obligation on Apple's part here to at least suggest some stronger
< guidelines than 'parameter-value pairs'.

Why? This seems to be an interface issue, and there already is an interface.

Some DTP apps had the same problem with colors. If you want to assign a color
to something, it would not make sense to put upo the color wheel every time;
instead the user can create a menu (via some kind of dialog) with all the
colors which (s)he needs for everyday use, plus an "Other..." item.

Same with file transfer methods. You let the user create a menu (the List
Manager comes in handy here) with all the file transfer settings necessary for
a particular application. Then, when sending or receiving a file, you either
use a hierarchical menu under "Send File..." or a pop-up menu in
SFGet/PutFile. Likewise, the scripting language does not use "receive file
<file name> with <insert long and incomprehensible setup string here>" but
"receive file <filename> with <user's own menu item>.

This has some additional advantages, like the fact that no one would need to
translate those setup strings to different languages any more because the user
won't see them anyway. Also, when you need to change the FT settings you
can now change them once in the menu-creation dialog and you don't have to
hunt through your scripts...
And if you want to change a specific parameter, and the FT tool doesn't
understand it (Kermit frame length, for instance, when you really want to use
XModem :-), the user's selection might still work.

Comments?
-- 
Matthias Urlichs