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From: gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: What do I want to see in the Ap
Message-ID: <116900022@p.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 20 Dec 89 17:39:29 GMT
References: <172524@<1989Dec15>
Lines: 47
Nf-ID: #R:<1989Dec15:172524:p.cs.uiuc.edu:116900022:000:2225
Nf-From: p.cs.uiuc.edu!gillies    Dec 19 23:36:00 1989


>>> - A Resource Manager, permitting (among other things) international
>>>   localization *without recompilation*, including all of the system
>>>   software
> 
> I have never, ever understood why this is such a BIG DEAL.  Users can
> do their own localizations, the software company doesn't have to; SO WHAT?
> The company still has to translate documentation, etc.  What difference
> does it make if the program has to be recompiled with new strings?
> 
> At best, this is a minor convenience for a few users.

No, you're missing the point.  There is just no substitute for a
resource manager + editor.  Here are some of the advantages.

BIG DEAL #1: WYSWYG editing & instant turnaround for foreign-language
translators.  There is an amazing productivity gain by taking the
programmers out of this development loop.

BIG DEAL #2: A General Prototyping tool for User Interface Developers.
Most user interface designers are clueless about what the system is
capable of doing / displaying.  ResEdit teaches them immediately.

BIG DEAL #3: The programmer writes ZERO custom code to handle
internationalizaton.  You can never "just recompile with new
constants."  The new software must be tested to (at least) verify the
displays are correct.  With resources, NO SOFTWARE BUGS ARE INTRODUCED
DURING THIS PORTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE!

BIG DEAL #4: A smart system resource manager can decimate the working
set, important in systems lacking virtual memory.  Xerox built virtual
memory into all its computer products, yet was always short.
Bitmapped graphics and pictures take tons of space.  The resource
manager centralizes some smart memory-management algorithms.  It's my
guess the 128K Mac incarnation would have been PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE
without the resource manager.

So as you see, it's not really a big deal.  It's at least FOUR BIG DEALS!

I hope this gives you a feel for some of the advantages.  These
impressions came from working as a Xerox programmer.  It's fair to say
that we Xeroids were very envious of the Mac's resource manager.


Don Gillies, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Illinois
1304 W. Springfield, Urbana, Ill 61801      
ARPA: gillies@cs.uiuc.edu   UUCP: {uunet,harvard}!uiucdcs!gillies