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From: pfr654@csc.anu.oz.au
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: Scientific Spreadsheet? WingZ is crap!
Message-ID: <1990Nov19.104916.3378@csc.anu.oz.au>
Date: 19 Nov 90 00:49:16 GMT
References: <1990Nov15.100655.3353@csc.anu.oz.au> <1990Nov15.142402.9037@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> <25793@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <1990Nov17.165806.27579@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
Organization: Computer Services, Australian National University
Lines: 63

As the person who started this thread, I thought I'd add some more fuel to 
the fire about WingZ's problems.

(for those who are interested the two best 'scientific spreadsheets' appear 
to be Trapeze and Igor. Igor is actually an incredibly fast graphing 
program, going at warp speed cf cricket graph, excel or wingz. )

In article <1990Nov17.165806.27579@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>, mike@pyrite.SOM.CWRU.Edu (Michael Kerner) writes:

> In article <25793@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> changwoo@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Chang P. Woo) writes:

>>The major problem that I have had with Wingz is the way it deals with
>>charts. Quite often I need to paste charts to word processors, and doing

[stuff deleted]

> 
> I guess I don't understand what all the fuss is about.  WingZ allows you to
> customize everything and anything.  WingZ by itself is simply a scripting
> processor with some built in functions (i.e. a language interpreter).  If you
> don't like something about it, CHANGE IT!  The details are right in the manual,
> and there are a bunch of books out there with neat routines that make the
> program very powerful indeed.  I am screwed with Excel because obviously
> Microsoft and I think differently 'cause they make EVERYTHING complicated.

I agree that Excel is not great, but WingZ is not the answer to all our 
prayers.

> I agree that the standard WingZ interface is clunky, but my customized one
> isn't.  The only thing that limits your ability in WingZ is the amount of
> effort you are willing to put into designing your own spreadsheet.  If you're
> willing to let someone else control the way you do things, then go with
> Excel.  If you want to do it your way, read the WingZ manual and DO IT!!!

WingZ is still SLOOOOW, just like Excel. It doesn't like large data files, 
like Excel, it doesn't do x versus y versus z 3d charts, it only spreads out 
along a 'z axis' x versus y charts. The lack of 'interactivity' via double 
clicking on chart items really bugs me!

Why couldn't the interface as shipped be more friendly? Surely some decent 
testing of the program by Mac users would have enlightened Informix?

Icon-craziness is another thing: the icon bar is not obvious! How many have 
tried to plot a 'chart' by selecting a region of the spreadsheet only to 
then select the incorrect tool. In my opinion, this method of getting a 
chart in the first place is just as loopy as Excel's (where you have to 
select 'New' from the menu).

I read the manual, and the Hyperscript manual, and thought that it was 
quite powerful and that it would be able to do what I wanted, but in the 
final analysis, the lack of speed generally and lack of logic with the 
graphics was just too much.

I would love to see someone who does use WingZ extensively post their 
'startup' docs or other useful Macros so that we who are complaining about 
it could see how it might be possible to improve it. I would like to be 
proved wrong - I want to use it but it bugs me every time I do 'n' 
heirarchical menus!
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Phil Ryan                                         
ANU Department of Physics and Theoretical Physics 
Canberra, Australia                               
pfr654@csc.anu.oz.au   phone:(61 6) 249 4678   fax:(61 6) 249 0741