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Re: Existing forms to PDF or Excel
comp.databases.pick comp.databases.pick
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Re: Existing forms to PDF or Excel -
08-25-2006
, 11:31 AM
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"Bruce Nichol" <reverse_ecurb (AT) taloncs (DOT) com.au> wrote in message news:33kse295d1ukskos35gj9faidha5i0hq3k (AT) 4ax (DOT) com... "completely uninformed"??? I have an opinion. It's a valid opinion. It is not uninformed. It is reasoned. It comes about from many years involvement as a software developer in the MV industry. I have looked at a lot of so-called tools put onto the MV market by other developers and I have found that in many cases the value to me of these tools does not match the cost of acquiring them. I know of other developers that have the same opinion. *ding*ding* You know, there are exceptions to this but I normally find myself questioning good tools. Not so much the price or functionality, but whether or not I really have a _true_ need for the toy and all of its accessories. I love to spend money here. Management will vouch for that. However, I'm not going to spend $200 on a tool that I may only use 5% of on a regular basis. There's a few such things out there that I think are brilliant. However, I just don't really need them. I can either get by without them, or I can implement my own solution that doesn't have 90% of the additional fluff. Afterall, a good programmer doesn't waste memory or CPU ticks on things that don't get used. Why would I spend the money on, and buy fuel for, a tandem-axle dump truck if I only need a small pickup truck? Typically, to sell a simple tool the tool has to be molded into a one-size-fits-all solution with eye candy. All of that labor ends up getting covered in the sticker price. The opinion I have for specific cases may well vary from case to case, but basically, shoddiness comes to mind often, as well as the fact that if this tool is incorporated within my sphere of operations, it's going to require an indordinate change to the way I want my sphere to operate. And I am the poor bunny that pays the bills around here. Shoddiness is a good excuse to avoid paying for something, but having to "make a change" is not. You can easily pad inordinate changes with wrappers. 5-minutes of coding time isn't a reason to avoid a major enhancement that you don't have to spend 2 years designing and debugging. Unless, of course, you're just lazy and would rather spend the 2 years writing aligned code and debugging it. <G> I've been to both places and I really like paying for someone elses code and support, when the development and debugging would take me more than a month or two. How can this be "completely uninformed"? As far as I know, there is still no compulsion for me to adopt anything, software tools included, that's put in front of me. Nor do I have to accept whatever you might propound as being "right" as the only avenue for me to consider. I think I still have the right to accept or reject. Usefulness is in the eye of the beholder, and no amount of cajoling or anything, mean spirited criticism of me included, is going to get me to change my mind. Just have a look at ugly babies. Their mothers might be blinded by their own creation, but to the rest of us...... Are we a bit closed minded here, or are you just in anti-Tony mode? That applies to the products od some software developers and vendors, as well..... And, perhaps among all of your lamentations about people not wanting to spend their hard-earned on some of your efforts, rejection of your proposed standards, et al, have you ever considered that perchance, *your* solution might not be *their* solution? If you ask any developer: I have this problem and I need a solution for it. What do you think? Are they not going to go with familiarity over convention? Afterall, familiarity lends speed and speed lends profit in the software development world. I don't think you can really nail Tony specifically on this situation. Every developer in the MV world can be smacked for doing such a thing atleast once. I'm no exception. Have a look at this demo for NebulAnalysis (also no longer offered) Errr... Dummy spit? Or doesn't do the job? (Oooer! Nichol! You specious b....!) Actually, I think Tony developed an obtuse tool that was above the level of development of the community. It happens to developers atleast once. It's happened to me with open source projects. After the idea of web services has soaked in a while, the market may be more understanding of the functionality and value. and note how the API (just like that for NebulaDoc) allowed very comprehensive control over Excel from BASIC for whatever purpose someone might have in mind. http:// removethisNebula-RnD.com/demos/nebulanalysis/ A general statement that third-party tools do things in specific ways isn't reasoned at all. Third party tools are targeted at a wide audience. I usually have no argument about "proper tools", ie, tools that are conceived for public acceptance from the "off", but here are many things offered for which "public accpetance" was far from the reason to be.... Er..no comment They're not application specific. Actually, most of themn started life this way... Don't ALL tools start with a single idea? Most good tools morph into complex solutions eventually. However, what saddens me is when the original identity of the product/tool is lost in marketing efforts. They're written by people who quite specifically want to create a general purpose solution to a wide variety of problems. In a lot of cases, I don't think so.... In many cases it's "Look at what I've done. Isn't it great? I'll sell it".... blatent sarcasm HaH! That _never_ happens here. People here don't have egos!! /blatent sarcasm Anything less limits the audience. And of course a third party tool isn't going to do things the way any one individual happens to think - what are we, mind readers? Everyone does things differently. Tools that are offered in the market give us a way to standardize those things. If everyone insists that common market tools (free, open source, or otherwise) should do things "their way" then there is no possibility for standards. And development by concensus doesn't work either, precisely because so many people do insist on having it "their way". Really tired of this bandwagon mentality we see here these days. "Bandwagon mentality"??? Does this equate to a mealy-mouthed put-down to a couple of people being in agreement, but not in agreement with something that emanates from you? Well, if there was a developer's association then one voice could say "you have to do it this way, if you want to follow our standards and charter." I don't have time to manage one, but I really think it's something that we all would benefit from. Of course, I'm sure you're too rebellious to partake in such a thing Bruce. <G I can't really put any other face on it.... Regards, Bruce Nichol Talon Computer Services ALBURY NSW Australia http://www.taloncs.com.au If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.... Glen |
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