| JohnCartan: |
Greetings! Welcome to the first online Alexander summit.
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| P King Duk: |
So are you logging this?
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| JohnCartan: |
Yep.
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| P King Duk: |
Anything to report?
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| JohnCartan: |
Not much. I have been thinking about how we should update the journal.
I gather you received the journal?
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| P King Duk: |
Was receiving it up until just a moment ago...
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| JohnCartan: |
What happened?
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| P King Duk: |
It arrived.
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| JohnCartan: |
Ah.
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| P King Duk: |
How SHOULD we update the journal?
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| JohnCartan: |
It would be nice to simplify it so that it would take up less space.
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| P King Duk: |
10 minutes isn't bad.
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| JohnCartan: |
Also restructure it so you never have to click more than one or two levels to reach a card.
I'm thinking maybe set up 4 or 5 fixed categories and provide an automatic alphabetical index for each one.
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| P King Duk: |
What I'd most like to see is an ability to do simultaneous updates.
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| JohnCartan: |
Yes, I was thinking that too, but I haven't figured out how... any idea?
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| P King Duk: |
But *you're* the HyperCard expert.
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| JohnCartan: |
I have no trouble with hypercard, just in thinking how to design it.
Ideally we would just transmit updated cards back and forth,
but if we both update the same card, how is this resolved?
Do we have to store original, plus johns changes, plus pauls changes?
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| P King Duk: |
That can be resolved. One of us would arbitrarily resolve conflicts manually.
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| JohnCartan: |
Which one of us? Suppose we disagree on one of the changes?
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| P King Duk: |
I've no prode in ownership; no need to track you vs. me.
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| JohnCartan: |
I agree. we just need to avoid confusion.
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| P King Duk: |
I nominate you as arbiter.
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| JohnCartan: |
Uh, thanks ;/
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| P King Duk: |
And you'll hear from me if I don't like your decisions.
Elected, then?
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| JohnCartan: |
Let me get this straight. Each week we both transmit updated cards only, right?
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| P King Duk: |
Yup, if you can fix it so it's easy even for me.
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| JohnCartan: |
You update your copy and I update mine?
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| P King Duk: |
Right, and *you* have the "master" copy.
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| JohnCartan: |
Here's where I have a tiny problem...
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| P King Duk: |
Yes?
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| JohnCartan: |
Suppose we both update the same card...
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| P King Duk: |
And?
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| JohnCartan: |
You then receive MY update, and I receive YOUR update to the original. which version do we keep?
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| P King Duk: |
You look at both, combine them into a new version, and re-transmit.
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| JohnCartan: |
Hmmmm. I don't see any other way. But it does mean I have to temporarily store the original
separate from the updates. I can't just automatically suck it all in...
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| P King Duk: |
Does everything have to be automatic? Let's try this; maybe it won't be that bad.
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| JohnCartan: |
It probably won't. We'll give it a try. Now then, as for the four or five categories.
I suggest one for these logs of our meetings,
maybe one for accepted features, one for proposed, one for trashed?
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| P King Duk: |
Do us a favor, and edit them a bit before storing.
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| JohnCartan: |
Edit the logs, you mean?
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| P King Duk: |
Right.
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| JohnCartan: |
Should "New pieces" be a category onto itself?
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| P King Duk: |
Why do you want to keep the number so small?
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| JohnCartan: |
Because I want to keep things simple. I don't want to click more than twice to find a card.
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| P King Duk: |
But you could have a dozen topics on the first card, n'est pas?
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| JohnCartan: |
If we have lots of categories then it's not worth maintaining a separate index for each one.
I envision a simple card with, say five category buttons across the top...
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| P King Duk: |
Hmm.. Have you looked at how the current scheme would map into this?
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| JohnCartan: |
Just click the category, scroll down, and click on the appropriate title.
We could have some naming conventions so that similar items would stick together in the list.
For example, begin the titles of all new piece cards with "New Piece:"
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| P King Duk: |
(Times up) Seems like a ridiculous thing to argue over, so I won't.
Sounds like you should come up with a prototype for discussion and approval...
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| JohnCartan: |
A prototype?
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| P King Duk: |
Right, crank out a stack that implements the above so we can see how it works.
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| JohnCartan: |
I'll give it a shot.
So when do I get to see the Alexander map generator?
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| P King Duk: |
I'll look tomorrow; may be able to send then or Tuesday, with a bit of luck.
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| JohnCartan: |
I propose that you send whatever you've got as soon as possible, then each week try to make one small improvement.
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| P King Duk: |
OK, as long as I get to define "small" and "improvement.
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| JohnCartan: |
Agreed. Each week I can spot a new bug or lobby for some change or new feature.
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| P King Duk: |
I bet you can!
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| JohnCartan: |
Just as long as there is an actual change in the code each week. Possible?
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| P King Duk: |
Possible? Sure...
But for developer simplicity, I may have to insist that all target machines are CI's or better.
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| JohnCartan: |
Only if you supply your beta tester with one!
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| P King Duk: |
You can come out and use mine.
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| JohnCartan: |
Maybe you should just ship it to me. Sounds like you won't get much of a chance to use it anyway!
Is your current version in color? I've forgotten...
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| P King Duk: |
Time's really up, and I have to dial in to the office yet tonight. No, no color yet.
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| JohnCartan: |
OK. so you'll transmit a map generator asap and work on one improvement for next time?
And I'll work on a better journal stack.
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| P King Duk: |
Tasks assigned: John - new Alexander details stack. Paul - map generator v0.000000001
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| JohnCartan: |
Agreed. Any other suggestions for a better journal?
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| P King Duk: |
NO suggestions. OK, then, over and out.
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| JohnCartan: |
Good night. :)
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