Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think.com!mintaka!geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu!rjc From: rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Clipboard (was Re: The Amiga's Future) Message-ID: <1991Jun8.010653.21706@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Date: 8 Jun 91 01:06:53 GMT References: <1991Jun7.064750.5770@news.iastate.edu> <1991Jun7.233654.24493@news.iastate.edu> Sender: news@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu Organization: The Internet Lines: 80 In article <1991Jun7.233654.24493@news.iastate.edu> taab5@isuvax.iastate.edu writes: > It is very different. The Amiga's clipboard was originally intended only >for transferring straight ASCII text between applications. It was never >intended to even be used to transfer graphics. The clipboard on the Mac, >however, is very sophisticated. It transfers text and graphics flawlessly >between applications, and nearly all applications support the clipboard. Marc, where did you read this? All documentation I have on the Clipboard refers to clips as "data" not Ascii. The clipboard is general purpose simular to Matt's FIFO library. The only thing wrong with the Amiga's clipboard is that Commodore failed to provide a style/interface guide for Apps until recently so developers were pretty much free to do anything. Show me where C= documents the clipboard as "intended for ascii." I know it works with IFFs because I have programs that save IFFs to the clipboard if instructed. > So, even if all Amiga applications supported the clipboard (a very big >IF!), the Amiga's clipboard would still not compare at all to the clipboard >on the Macintosh. The MAC's clipboard is as far above the Amiga's >clipboard as the Amiga's multitasking is above the MAC's multitasking. Explain why it is so better (e.g. give an example of the programmers interface to it.) > The Amiga's clipboard cannot be fixed, as it is too unsupported and >weak to be fixed. The clipboard needs to be totally replaced by something >that supports transferring of graphic images from one application to >another, independent of resolution or color format. However, even if this >were done, and the clipboard was replaced by something far better, it >would stile pale compared to the clipboard of the Macintosh simply because >the MAC's clipboard is supported by nearly all applications. In other words "the Amiga is doomed." Marc, you can apply the above paragraph to System 7.0 's InterApp Communication. It's inferior to the Amiga message system and Arexx, not many Apple's will support it (whilest Arexx and Message ports are supported by almost every popular productivety application on the Amiga) Your reasoning is astrounding. You have managed to declare the Amiga clipboard a failure, no matter HOW good it would get in the future simply because alot of Apps would need updating meanwhile you have not condemned any of System 7's new features which need updates to take advantage of. No wonder you get bashed for stuff like this. Another reason I guess the clipboard never took off on the Amiga is IFF and multitasking. It's such a simple task to save an IFF file to a pipe and load it from another app. If Commodore ever improves the clipboard (perhaps by adding a clipboard.library, or adding library functions to the .device itself, that provides a higher level DIG interface) a large amount of Amiga apps would support it. The Amiga developer net isn't dead, in fact most programs are constantly being updated, take ASDG's AdPro which is extremely flexible and is getting routine updates to support stuff like HAM-E, Firecracker, and drivers for the high-end scanners. All OS's share one common ground, new functionality and features added to the OS require software to be updated to take advantage of the new features. Show me a platform that automagically updates software via an AI algorithm to use new tools added in the OS and I'll gladly sell my Amiga. (no, OS level improvements don't count such as cosmetics, new gadgets that are handled by the systems software and not the program, etc.) >>-- >>Matt Ranney -- mjr@uther.calvin.edu >>sendmail: error reading file /home/mjr/.signature (core dumped) > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > / Marc Barrett -MB- | BITNET: XGR39@ISUVAX.BITNET / >/ ISU COM S Student | Internet: XGR39@CCVAX.IASTATE.EDU / >------------------------------------------------------------ >\ The great thing about standards is that / > \ there are so many of them to choose from. / > ------------------------------------------------------- -- / INET:rjc@gnu.ai.mit.edu * // The opinions expressed here do not \ | INET:r_cromwe@upr2.clu.net | \X/ in any way reflect the views of my self.| \ UUCP:uunet!tnc!m0023 * /