Re: Panorama and AppleScript
Re: Panorama and AppleScript
- Subject: Re: Panorama and AppleScript
- From: Dave G <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 18:15:52 -0500
And as for Panorama (and this is personal opinion only) - I reckon it looks
about 20 years old - it has a pretty ugly interface and is a bit fiddly to
use as far as layout is concerned. If you want a 'stock' type layout it's
probably OK.
FWIW, I own Panorama, FMP, 4D and Omnis. I use FMP for most small things
(as that's what I'm most familiar with) and I'm now learning MySQL and PHP
because it's likely the web is where everything is going to end up and MySQL
and PHP give a good, cheap intro into the real power world. I wouldn't even
consider FMP for serious web work.
I keep hearing more about Visual Basic, and more about AS problems
(on this list) with system X, different versions, etc. I do hope that
AS remains strong into the long term. I am wondering if VB will start
to nudge AS out at some point? Apple had better get the AS glitches I
hear about on this list - tightened up. Please, no more bone headed
business decisions from Apple. AS is such a great product.
Right now I do not use FileMaker for publishing a web page. I would like
to learn how. I am learning to use AS to augment my old FM 3.x's lack
of email send script. When I was hosting a discussion group in my area,
I used an AS to set fields from a global found batch set and then tell
Eudora to set the addresses to BCC. But I really want it to function as
a part of keeping a web site up to snuff. I don't know if AS can be used
for that or not?
My hope is that Panorama can manage this feet. The current release
does not have a good implementation of TCIP and they are saying that
it is their current project to expand the TCIP capabilities in Panorama
at ProVUE. When that happens Panorama can be made into a mail client,
I assume. I am still trying to see what I need to get a daily updated web
page from a database.
Can't resist, we all have our preferences, some PC, some Mac, etc. I
spent the last few hours on the Panorama tutorial. I am still amazed
at how cool that program is. I sure don't see a poor interface in
it. As I learn I may see more of what you mean, but like 4D, Panorama
uses variables, Programming language, etc. Except the programming
language seems much more readable and even intuitive, much like AS.
And, I am just elated at how nicely it puts together a layout. You
don't have to put on the T-square like in FileMaker, and line things
up just so. You just move a field with the arrow keys (or the mouse -
arrow for tweaking). When either edge lines up it creates an
alignment line. Not only that, but, I can also move a field's side to
shrink or grow on one edge only (or a graphic) a pixel at a time to
perfectly match alignments in a custom setting. And of course you
can automatically set the pixels between fields, align them automatically
by top AND bottom. I have never seen that done before. And I am soooo
grateful.
I also own 4D and FMP. But I confess, the learning curve in 4D has
been a bear. I consider 4D an interesting write off from my learning
curve. I joined this list because I also want to do more with
AppleScript. With FileMaker, there were a lot of opportunities to do
that, also with Panorama. 4D is in a world unto it's self. A good
world, but, I am delighted with the ease of creative layout design in
Panorama. I am not a programmer, and do not want to be one. I like it
when I find the best solutions that make sense, and are also powerful.
FileMaker has some nice tricks in it. I am still learning there, and
enjoying it. AppleScript is fairly easy to learn, although without
applying it I can make no sense of it. Panorama is that way too.
AS says "Tell Finder, something, End tell". How much simpler and
intuitive can you get? FileMaker has a bunch of script steps that
are not hard on the surface but have to be navigated to move this
to do that to also uncover that one ... 4D is full of weird little rules
that probably make perfect sense to a programmer, like putting
the $ sign in front of certain variables etc..
And Panorama,,, Ahhhhh. Feels pretty good so far. How old a version
do you have? I understand that they have really been upgrading it
from their older versions. All I know is the 4.01 version. (A system 10
version is after the TCP project they said.)
Dave Groover (Happy day after New Years down unda).
--
"Don't ever be somebody's slogan, because you are poetry"
--- Sandra Bullock's character in - "28 Days"