V8 release date

[CALocklin]

Re: V8 release date & Documentation

So I go to the docs and search on "average", being a rather logical fellow and assuming I might find what I want there.

Here's another option. Download the free A5v5 Xbasic Help file from my Programs page. (Sorry, Xbasic functions only.) It's a bit old but it includes all functions for A5v5 and some from A5v6. The important thing - the keywords were all entered manually. This means that all functions that relate to a specific word (at least all that I could think of) and ONLY those that are relavent (not just because the word was found somewhere in the description) will appear in a search list. For example, if you search on "average", you will see a list of 5 items:

<tbl>.field_statistics()
Average
DbAvg
Run_Average
TableAvg

Compare that to 51 hits in the Alpha search. Most of those 51 are either not relevant (such as <field>.is_blank) or just refer back to one of the 5 above.

Building the keyword list manually was very time consuming so I can see why it wasn't done in the Alpha help but it does make the help file MUCH more user friendly.

Of course, the Alpha help also includes many new functions - especially for WAS and other internet related items (ftp commands, uuid, etc.) which didn't exist in v5 - and this would make manual entry of keywords even more time consuming.

However, most of the *desktop* functions existed in v5. Also, many of the new desktop functions are just based on the older functions and combined or modified in some way to make them more user friendly without really providing new capabilities. So, for desktop apps my old A5v5 Xbasic Help File is still very useful for anyone who uses Xbasic or In-Line Xbasic.

[PeterSC]

Re: V8 release date

Getting back to the original query -

Here we are at end November. Is there anyone out there with up to date info re release date. It would be great for me (boring for my wife!!) to spend some time over Xmas checking out v8. Is this wishful thinking?

[Marcel Kollenaar]

Re: V8 release date

For 'saynotogates' - although I am much much much younger than you are, I started out in CP/M, too.

Me, too. PIP, Peripheral Interchange Program. Once I wrote a formatter in Z80 assembly. Nice days but it's history now.

@docs: Yes, Alpha has a problem when it comes to documentation. The documentation so far is good. But to keep it that way it will be a major problem the next coming years.

But there is one thing I don't understand. I know the VBA documentation. It is object oriented, it is compact, I can understand it and I can use it. I know the Word object model and I can work with it and it is not as huge as the A5 documentation.

Alpha isn't object oriented, they tried in some areas but the whole part isn't. It is function listed by function. It is a structured chaos. I do not mean this negative. But somehow it must be more structured to keep track of it.

They have too much names invented by themselves. These names do not have any common sense with other languages.

And I agree that a team is more like to keep track to it or the developers must change for a while into documenters.

One man alone can't do it. The new one will burn down to his knees when he or she has to do it alone.

[jmatienza]

Documentation again

The current documentation system makes it difficult to find information. Many have commented on the index and search facilities, which leave much to be desired. But a growing problem is the structure itself. The help is now an unwieldy hodgepodge of multiple documents. The same topic is often found parceled out and duplicated in different places. And with Alpha Five's expanding features the problem can only get worse.

I know Alpha Five is a massive, complex, multifaceted product. But having having to look up all these different books just makes learning it unnecessarily harder.

I would really like to see a simple, unified document structure for the help, something like the outline of Dr. Wayne's Xbasic book, with the list of functions and methods forming the appendix. It'll be a massive document, of course, but perhaps not as massive as the current help. And it would be a lot easier to use.

But, as Marcel asks, Who can do it?

[jkletrovets]

Re: V8 release date

Just throwing in my 2 pennies. I agree with much of what has been said on the documentation. I have a solution that is working pretty well for me. If you install the Google Toolbar you can then first navigate to the Alpha Help Files on the web and then do a Google search on just the Help File Site.

Alpha Online Help File URL

http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...help/index.htm

Regards,

Jeff

[Marcel Kollenaar]

Re: V8 release date

Jeff, that is a good idea!

[jmatienza]

I agree. Clever workaround!

[PeterSC]

Re: V8 release date

ORIGINALLY POSTED UNDER ANNOUNCEMENTS

MFAUZIM originally posted -------

Just wondering when will be V8 avail? I already pre purchased and expected it will be ready end of year. I have new project which will start Jan and it could use V8 new functionality.
Hope Alphateam can shed some light on this

My comment ---------

I willingly purchased V8 early, but am now beginning to wonder how long the wait is going to be. Alphateam - please don't disappoint - there is a limit to our patience. Rather let us know if delays are likely and keep us informed.

[dpawley]

Re: V8 release date

Yes, It was a little odd that the charge went through on the credit card even though no shipment has occurred, as with most other advance orders for other software and items I've purchased. So Alpha has had the $$$ for over a month now, and we still do not have anything to show for it and do not even get status updates as to an expected or planned release and/or ship date. Disappointing!

Don't get me wrong, if they are having problems, I would rather have them fix them than to release a buggy or problematic version... just give us some status.

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: V8 release date

... just give us some status.

Alpha tends to be notoriously uncommunicative!

[chandran]

Re: V8 - Searching help files

Just throwing in my 2 pennies. I agree with much of what has been said on the documentation. I have a solution that is working pretty well for me. If you install the Google Toolbar you can then first navigate to the Alpha Help Files on the web and then do a Google search on just the Help File Site.

Alpha Online Help File URL

http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...help/index.htm

Regards,

Jeff

I would suggest your reviewing search software offered by: http://sitesearch.gigablast.com/

This will search the help files. I have not tried yet. I wish some one will be able to try its suitability to search help files.

[rfha]

Re: V8 release date

Just a comment about V8. Richard told me in early December that the delay was because they want to make sure V8 is compatible with Vista.

Well, that was a good idea. I had the opportunity to try a V7 runtime on a Microsoft Partners pre-release of Vista and it wouldn't even load...

Let us all pray to your power of choice that V8 overcomes the problems and soon. I, too, very strongly dislike having my credit card charged for vaporware - which is exactly what it is until the release happens.

On another note, Richard made a newer pre-release version of V8 available, dunno if all got it, but when I run it, it comes up with a silly little bug message that says I can stop the script by clicking (see attachment). Now that is helpful, don't you think? (Can't get anything else to work). The only way out is to quit, usually requiring the Task Manager.

Happy New Year!

[DaveM]

Re: V8 release date

I too ran a wang machine in the early 70's. I was never impressed with it because it was used only for printing a contract that let us do away with payment books. It took the floppy disk to hold 10 contracts as an aschive. It did absolutely nothing else. It was a poor product by today's standards and was a lot more expensive. Imagine a 30,000.00 home computer today?

Dave Mason

[rfha]

Re: V8 release date

Dave, methinks you overlook how today's flash drives are beginning to replace hard drives. Time moves on, and faster every day.

You speak of storage - last week I visited a company that had the latest Mac's and 3 Terabytes of storage! And it was full!!!!

But in defense of Wang, it sounds like you used one of their Wangwriter word processors, which were not that great.

I ran a service bureau that supported home 10 construction companies and managed construction of hundreds of homes, all on just one Wang 2200. Sure, we used those big old clunky fixed-removeable hard drives that were the size of a satellite dish, but it was cutting edge at the time. Tick, tick, tick...

Anyway, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! :) ;)

[DaveM]

Re: V8 release date

The Wang we used was designed for car dealers - desktop machine - program was on a disk - loaded the disk - saved to another disk - all floppy

Later ran a radio shack - same scenario - could play games on it though and it printed all my forms - could store about 100 deals on a 1.2 floppy

I remember the first hard drive came out for the laptop with 2 meg of space and we could not fill it with all the programs we had(made and bought)

I had 2 hard drives that came in their own big 3'*5'*4'tall cases. They had some storage(about 750 megs each).

It all seems funny now at how we thought so differently. Now space is almost a non-concern.

Dave