Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!think!ames!amdahl!nsc!csi!jwhitnel
From: jwhitnel@csi.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Advice for starting programmers...
Message-ID: <1439@csib.csi.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 88 22:03:35 GMT
References: <42507@sun.uucp> <23091@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <42814@sun.uucp> <940@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> <526@psu-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: jwhitnel@csib.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell)
Organization: Communications Solutions Inc., San Jose, Ca
Lines: 66

In article <526@psu-cs.UUCP> smethers@psu-cs.UUCP (Paul Smethers) writes:
>
>Okay, this is the first of a series of replies pushing Prototyper.  I know
>that I may represent a biased opinion, but I also believe that if anyone in
>net-land has used it, they would agree that it can really save time (and $$)
>to begin programming.

To counter the push, I'm posting some of the reasons why I didn't buy
Prototyper.  I played with it for a little while at ComputerWare, so I
can't claim to be an experienced user, but this should give a balanced
picture.  

>
>Second, it is cheap for what it does.  Call SmethersBarnes at 800-237-3611 to
>order for $125. 

ComputerWare has it for about $100.
>
>Finally, it includes resource loading and generation, full support for icons,
>buttons, radio buttons, check boxes, scroll bars, list boxes, static and
>editable text (with different fonts), menu creation, and the creation of
>dialog-boxes, alerts, and windows.  You can link buttons or menus to cause
>other windows or dialogs to appear.  You can simulate your program at any
>point to look at it our how it works.  It requires no typing (no programming),
>only pointing and clicking.

The problem with prototyper is that this is about all it does.   It handles
only the resources mentioned above and no others.  There appeared to be
no way to add more advance features such as tear-off menus and pop-up
menus, pallette windows, etc.  It also appears not to support user-defined
MDEFs, WDEFs, and CDEFs.  There was also no way to display any data in
the windows and dialogs to simulate the programs results (useful for
what-if experimentation with new programs interface).  A simple paint system
to draw in the windows would have helped at this point.  There was no way
to play with any other resources, so you still need ResEdit or RMaker to
create any other resources.  There also appeared to be no support for
DAs, other then the user modify the code generated by Prototyper.
Prototyper is probably acceptable for the beginning amatuer who is
going to do nothing more then write a few freeware programs, but for the
professional or even the advanced amatuer, Prototyper unfortunatly runs out of
gas.

>
>I may be biased, so I strongly urge someone who has bought it to tell their
>side of the story.  But it appears that many could use this tool, and few
>understand it or know it exists.  I apologize if it appears that I am
>advertising, but it apppears that there are many in this group who could
>benefit by the knowledge of the program.

I'm not biased either for or against Prototyper, I'm mostly disappointed.
What is there is very clean and well-done, unfortunatly what it is missing
makes it not very useful for me.  I hope the next version will have
most of the features listed above, because if it did I would be prepared to
buy it.  But as it stands, it just doesn't have enough bang for the buck.
Paul, if I'm wrong about some of the above, please correct me.  Most of the
above was based on reading the manual and playing a little with program,
so I may have missed something.

>
>Paul Smethers
>SmethersBarnes


Jerry Whitnell				Been through Hell?
Communication Solutions, Inc.		What did you bring back for me?
						- A. Brilliant