[MUD-Dev] Re: Let's talk about numbers.

[Caliban Tiresias Darklock]

On 06:36 PM 9/25/98 +00-05, I personally witnessed Jon A. Lambert jumping
up to say:
>
>For configuration options, I like using tab controls.  A few Windows 
>apps make use of these, but they are much more commonly seen as 
>standard fare on OS/2.   Each tab is a different category.  

Windows calls these "Property Sheets" (which are what I'm using), and they
are actually required under the Windows 95 logo requirements in the UI
guidelines. Evidently the Redmond boys agree with you. :)

>Another advantage of the dialog approach over a config flatfile is 
>that you then have editing, validation, bubble help and context level
>help easily available.  Still the information can be stored in a 
>flatfile in any format (.ini is rather handy) so the experienced user
>can use any editor on it.

I actually have a planned feature (not yet implemented) which dumps the
registry settings for the application into a heavily commented
configuration file. Then the user can go in and edit this file, and later
read it back into the application which will parse and validate it before
updating the registry settings. Another consideration is some method of
migrating the application to another machine; ideally, you would just bring
your database over to the new machine, and everything gets taken care of.
Version upgrades are also a concern, and I'm debating over the inclusion of
a separate utility program which can browse the raw database or the
integration of the raw browser into the menu structure.

Another interesting plan is the error handling process. While most
applications will alert the user immediately to any error at all, I've been
putting errors into a separate window which you get at by clicking a '!'
button on the toolbar; when there are errors, this button flashes, letting
you know to go look at this window where every error is stored for this
particular run of the program. The only time I actually *interrupt* the
user with an error is when the program absolutely cannot continue without
repairing it. So when things go a little wrong, the program does everything
it can to recover, and only when it can't come up with any reasonable
action does it actually reach out and tap the user on the shoulder. I've
been reasonably shocked at how few errors actually *need* to be reported
immediately.

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Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban at darklock.com>   | "I'm not sorry or 
Darklock Communications <http://www.darklock.com/> |  ashamed of who I 
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