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From: osborn@ux1.lbl.gov (James R Osborn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: "The dialog manager is not a user interface" -Well, why not?
Message-ID: <13367@dog.ee.lbl.gov>
Date: 18 May 91 22:36:50 GMT
References: <1777@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu>
Reply-To: osborn@ux1.lbl.gov (James R Osborn)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Lines: 46
X-Local-Date: Sat, 18 May 91 15:36:50 PDT

In article <1777@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> un020070@vaxa.wvnet.edu writes:
>
>There is a Tech Note called "Don't abuse the managers."  This note
>gives some warnings about improper use of the managers.  For example,
>it says that the List Manager should only be used for fairly
>small lists, because the list manager is not designed to handle
>big jobs, and trying to coerce it to do so will result in
>annoying delays for the user.
>
>While the rationale for most of the warnings in this tech note
>are clear to me, I don't understand the warning against using
>the dialog manager for anything but dialogs with simple buttons,
>static text, and editable text.  The note says that if I am doing
>anything unusual, such as including a dial control, etc., I should
>set up my own window and do all of the dirty work of tracking the
>controls, etc., myself.
>
> [stuff deleted]
>
>--If there is something wrong with doing unusual things with dialogs,
>then why were userItems and filter functions created to start with?
>With the List Manager example above, there is a clear reason (speed)
>for not abusing the manager; if I 'abuse' the dialog manager, my
>code may be a bit kludgey, but how will the user ever know the
>difference?
>
>Am I way out of line?  Comments?
>
>--Kurisuto
>un020070@vaxa.wvnet.edu

I do indeed concur whole-heartedly with all of your sentiments...

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-- James

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