Re: [OT] FileMerge as a vacuum
Re: [OT] FileMerge as a vacuum
- Subject: Re: [OT] FileMerge as a vacuum
- From: Laurence Harris <email@hidden>
- Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:14:33 -0500
On Feb 17, 2007, at 9:56 PM, Greg Guerin wrote:
Laurence Harris wrote:
I just used FileMerge 2.2.1 to compare two HTML files. It sucks
because:
- It says there's only one difference even though there are dozens of
differences. The one line it says is different is not.
Confirm that both files have Unix line-endings.
I can't, because they don't. News Flash #1: I've been a Mac developer
for about 15 years now. I have files with Mac line-endings (carriage
returns). Lots of them in fact. New Flash #2: I didn't switch from
Mac to Linux. Apple chose to use Unix as the underpinnings of Mac OS
X. Fine. But it stinks that in many ways they chose to ignore the
needs of those of us who have been supporting this platform a lot
longer than the NeXT and Unix crowd that showed up to the party
rather recently.
If FileMerge can't handle CRs, just add that to the list of specific
ways in which FileMerge sucks.
- There's a popup button that behaves like a bevel button with a menu
instead of a popup button.
...snip...
Just so you know, I never use FileMerge. I just used it now and found
all these problems about as fast as I could type them into this
message. That pretty much qualifies FileMerge for a rating of "It
Sucks" in my book.
And you've filed a bug-report on these problems, right?
No, I haven't. I'm not going to spend my time filing entries in Radar
that really amount to no more than telling Apple how to write Mac
software or quoting the HIG to them. Nor am I going to spend my time
filing bug reports for bugs that anyone who uses the product for 30
seconds is sure to see. Apple should have testers and QEs to find
that stuff. I think it's unconscionable that Apple lays so much
responsibility for reporting this stuff on people who have to take
time from what they do to earn a living so Apple can save itself from
hiring its own QA people, and that's exactly what it is. If Apple
wants me to quote the HIG to its people and point out the glaringly
obvious, they need to hire me to do that. Otherwise they need to tell
their well-paid engineers to go learn how to write Mac software the
way it should be written and the way Apple documents it should be
written.
OTOH, I am happy to file bug reports in situations the problems are
intermittent or only occur under certain circumstances, and have done
so many, many times.
<http://developer.apple.com/bugreporter>
Thanks, but I have that URL bookmarked and have used it many, many
times.
I've heard that a lot of Apple's engineers use BBEdit. So much for
eating your own dog food. ;-)
Maybe BBEdit sucks, too. Or maybe it just sucks less.
According to BareBones, "It doesn't suck.™"
I can't say, since
I don't use it. What I use works fine for me. When it doesn't, I
file bugs.
The first rule of effective complaining is to complain to someone
who can
do something about it. Simply complaining on this list is a waste of
effort. Despite the earnestness or validity of any complaint, merely
complaining on-list won't get anything fixed.
I agree, but a) you asked for specifics, and b) when it comes to this
kind of stuff, I don't think Apple cares enough to fix it even if I
filed a bug report. FileMerge falls under the heading of tools that
only need to be barely functional because we're developers and we
love to use marginal software like this.
Filing bugs may also be a waste of effort, but at least it's an
officially
logged and noted waste of effort,
It also takes a lot longer since Apple wants a separate entry for
every single problem. It's bad enough to have to tell them about ten
problems you found in the first three minutes of using the program,
but to have to file ten Radar entries to do it? Not me. Not anymore.
I did it for Interface Builder once a long time ago, but never again.
instead of just being list-clutter.
You asked. ;-)
Larry
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