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From: rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: MacDraw upgrade wishes
Message-ID: <449@ccird1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Jun-86 16:53:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: ccird1.449
Posted: Fri Jun  6 16:53:23 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Jun-86 05:50:54 EDT
References: <113@fcstools.UUCP> <3503@reed.UUCP> <3366@sdcc3.UUCP>
Reply-To: rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard)
Organization: CCI Rochester Development, Rochester NY
Lines: 77

In article <3366@sdcc3.UUCP> borton@sdcc3.UUCP (Chris Borton) writes:
>In article <3503@reed.UUCP> bart@reed.UUCP (Bart Massey) writes:
>[...]
>>and to persuade Apple to fix MacDraw, which is about due for an upgrade
>>anyway.
>>
>I find MacDraw to be one of the most powerful applications around, and also
>one of the most frustrating.  There are several small but vital items I wish
>were corrected in an update:
>
>	o Oh, for a 'nudge' command!
	I'd like that one too!

>	o Why doesn't a program from Apple handle Desk Accessories correctly?
	Would be nice.

>	o The ability to draw an arc with both endpoints on a vertical or
>	  horizontal line should be there.

	The ability to bind each end of a line, arc, or "arrow" to another
	object.  This is real handy for structure charts, schematic diagrams,
	hierarchies,...

	How about the ability to "search" for text or "clipboards" on the
	picture.  Ever tried stretching a line from one corner to the other,
	on a 3 sheet x 3 sheet drawing?
>
>For the people that say 'use MacDraft', I did.  I went back to MacDraw.
	Not to mention that MacDraft is copy-protected :-(.

For my purposes, MacProject was useful, to a point, but I still need to
"polish" in MacDraw.

>Why can't MacDraft open MacDraw files?
Or MacProject, or ...

Why isn't there some "stream of objects" format that is a mandatory read-write
STANDARD, and not dependent on it's resource.

I know, object oriented design implies that one program should be able to
do all actions that there is to do with everything.  This is like expecting
VI to compile it's source files.

How about the ability to read a Picture Description Language (PDL) such as
PostScript, NAPLPS, or ?

>Transferring something between them
>reduces it to a PICT, not objects. 
>Is there a format for objects on the
>clipboard, which defaults to PICT if the Pasting program can't handle it?

The clipboard interface should be the PDL format.

It would also be nice to be able to have a "text" version of the PDL.
That way, one could draw using "mouse and windows", filter, duplicate,
or whatever with a text editor, and edit this with "mouse and windows"
again.

>Enough griping...next year I will learn how to do this myself while I am

Good Ideas, not griping.

>'stranded' away from telecommunications in Goettingen, Germany.  :-)

If you do, let me know too!

Maybe MacDraw is OK, but some new "general purpose" applications
need to be written.

Just a suggestion:  Has anyone looked at the superplot package posted
to net.sources?  Does anyone think they could come up with a
generator/interpreter using the "list of objects" or "quickdraw calls" to
one of these other formats?

Imagine a U.N. meeting with no interpreters.  Such is the state of
Mac software.  If there were one or more interpreters, the Mac would
be Irresistable.