Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!ihnp4!cbmvax!augi
From: augi@cbmvax.UUCP (Joe Augenbraun)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Kicking, dropping etc (was some ghastly mac thing)
Message-ID: <3784@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 16 May 88 21:08:34 GMT
References: <1665@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <53116@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: augi@cbmvax.UUCP (Joe Augenbraun)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 32

In article <53116@sun.uucp> cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis) writes:
> I like the factory idea. I was thinking that the compiler object could be
> 'opened' like a window and the libraries moved into it. But the idea of
> an 'order' form has appeal as well. An object that contains pointers to 
> objects (maybe you could represent this as a window with ghosted icons
> in it, add pointers by dragging an icon into the window, the ghosting 
> indicates it is a pointer.) then drop the order form onto the compiler
> and poof. And a shortcut for 'do it again' would be nice too.
> 

The problem with any scheme like this is that you need to be able to see
the icon for any given program (the particular "factory" if you will) in
order to use it.  This means searching your subdirectories to find the one
that you want, which is in effect the same as having a tree structured
menu system.

This problem can be allieviated to some degree by allowing the combining of
small factories into superfactories, with each small factory becoming a
process in the new superfactory.  The object (how about widget?) can be sent
through any or all of the processes in the factory in any order (using a work
order), or sent into other factories for further processing.  Each process
could have its own control panel.

I don't really like that solution, but its the best one that I can think of.
It only helps to reduce the number of icons that the user has to deal with,
not with the fact that we are basically talking about a tree structured
command system.  Any better ideas for solutions?

-- 
Joe Augenbraun                          ucp: {uunet|ihnp4|rutgers}!cbmvax!augi
System Engineering                     	arpa: cbmvax!augi@uunet.uu.net
Commodore Business Machines		Phone: 215-431-9332