Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!super!udel!gatech!rutgers!cmcl2!lanl!unm-la!unmvax!nmtsun!wbnsnsr
From: wbnsnsr@nmtsun.nmt.edu (William Norris)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Standardization
Message-ID: <1304@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Date: 19 Oct 88 10:50:28 GMT
Reply-To: wbnsnsr@nmtsun.nmt.edu (William Norris)
Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro NM
Lines: 19

Commodore-Amiga has never imposed guidelines for the ``look-and-feel''
(tm Apple--I wouldn't wan't to be sued :-)  Although creativity should be
encouraged, I feel that the time has come to standardize interfaces.  
The Amiga has been around for 3 years and I think we can produce
specifications for the ``Amiga Interface.''  We need standard file requesters,
dialog boxes, standard menus (where's the About... requester, Cut/Paste
opetations, programs that can handle many fonts, etc.)
(-: Not even commerical programs like Photon Paint or examples from Commodore
    like Fed can handle a large number of fonts :-)
I think that many programs do not take these things into account is because:
	1) It's pretty advanced stuff, or 
	2) Even if you understand it all, producing these resuts
           take considerable amount of coding and time.
Maybe include these things in a library, document the calling procedures,
and hopefully we'll see a dramatic improvement in the quality of software?!?
Especially PD/Shareware.

I have started taking notes and designing the required objects.  Should
I continue with this?  Anybody want to help?  Want more specs?