Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

[Dr Alok Modi MD]

Hi Guys
I have just finished reading the manuals on alpha five by Pace training by Valerie Simpkins.
If this not out of the place to say so, I would like to mention that the manuals are good, with practical hands - on - training and make alpha lucid to attack.

I hope you all at the forum would not find this inappropriate , but I enjoyed the manuals, though I missed the 2 buses, 1 - The famous alpha conference and 2 - the practical training sessions of Pace. ( I am too distant, physically and expense wise).

But I enjoyed the manuals, for their ease of use and potraying alpha in a layman's language, especially for non computer geeks like me. The immediate outcome after the first manual was that I am designing a database for a radiology clinic.

I wish Valerie would come out with a third manual consisting of some real life examples elaborating the development of databases from scatch to end, so we get real confidence, esp non programmers like us.


This thread would do injustice to the alpha five community if I were not to mention that the regulars here are gems, to take out so much time and energy to help novices like us and lend help to the dot. They go ahead and dot the "i"s and stroke the "t" and helped me a couple of times. I am being enriched by the encouragement and support given by Cal, Marcel, Martin and Steve, and not to forget Robert. My only wish is that someday I learn alpha enough so that I could also encourage newcomers like these veterans and repay to alpha what I have gained form these new friends of mine. Sigh !!! A long way to go!!

MAY THE ALPHA COMMUNITY GROW and MAY I SEE MORE OF IT IN INDIA ALSO.

Again I hope u guys don't take this thread otherwise.

Sincerely,
Dr Alok Modi MD

Thanks

[Dr Alok Modi MD]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Oops !! Wanda
how could I forget u!!

Thanks again !

Dr Alok Modi MD

[forskare]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Dr Alok Modi,

No, you are not out of line at all and not doubt expressed the thoughts of many, many A5 users.

Unless users speak up and request specific manuals, training, etc. it's not likely Valerie would know what to produce. You also might want to email her with this request as well.

That said, have you looked at the tutorial that ships with A5?

kenn

[Dr Alok Modi MD]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Yes Ken !
But alpha is much more than what is covered anywhere. So I asked for a third manual. Robert and Valerie are u guys listening?

I got enthused by attacking these, but I have along way to go yet. I wonder when will I reach there!!!

At present I am on Dr Peter Wayene's X basic book.
Dr Alok Modi MD

[rtbtat]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Dr. Alok Modi:

Valerie is on a business trip but I did pass your suggestion onto her. So yes, we're listening.

Robert T

[Stephen Williams]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

I think this is a great idea. I got started on databases with dBaseIII and a book that talked you through building a complete database solution with discussion about why the information was split amongst the diferent tables, options you might explore, menu construction, form design, data entry issues, integrity issues, etc etc. Can't remember the name of the book, and its not important. Main issue for me was it taught me the big picture so I knew how the pieces fit together to make a solution.

I don't need this book anymore, but I think it would be an excellent tool. I might suggest it offer to build the AlphaSports from scratch. Key is to explain the big picture, and how each piece fits together.

[rtbtat]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Hello Stephen:

I agree 100% and I've been making that argument for a number of years in terms of third party books on Alpha Five.

I've tried my best to make the point that manuals [books or online] are an excellent resource if you need to solve a specific problem. If the manuals do their job, we don�t need a third party book that rehashes the same details. I think most users, especially new ones, need someone to show them how all of those individual features fit into the overall concept of designing a database. This is where third party books can shine in terms of putting all of the individual concepts together into one package where users can see how all of the components interact with one another.

I know Valerie has worked extremely hard writing books that try to bring the individual components together in terms of building an application that illustrates the various design concepts and how they relate to one another.

Robert T

[Joseph Claeys]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

The tutorials are great! In fact, the FREE documentation is seocnd to none...

With the all the Xbasic and Action Scripting possibilities I'm at the point where a comprehensive reference would be nice. Not just a textual document, but one that had clear illustrations (examples etc) of all the Action scripts and Xbasic. I can imagine some commands and Action Scripts getting a couple of pages of discussion.

~joe

[Steve Workings]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

A group of us was approached two years ago about writing a comprehensive manual. It didn't take us long to decline the invitation -- there's so much in A5 and Selwyn & crew are adding so much so fast that it seemed like an impossible task for minimal $$ return. I agree that the concept is terrific but...

- Steve

[Dr Alok Modi MD]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Hi
I guess I have started a hot topic, but I have missed the bus. (or thrown out??)
I have a suggestion.

How about all of us contributing a little each and let the big fish, Robert, Valerie join them and out presto there is your FOURTH manual?

So what say?

Dr Alok Modi MD

P.S.
No seriously , jokes apart, even after a third manual I think there should be a sample database HAPPY users can upload, with step by step details on how they did it. It will be welcomed by the alpha community with open arms, mark me, more by novices like me and stalwarts also, beacuse of the exposure to the different techniques of each and an exposure to the approach of each. I think this will turn out to be as promising as this alpha forum that we all love.
It will serve the most important aspect of any learning. How to APPLY your knowledge. This is what we learn in the hospital and become from bubbling geniuses to lovable, approachabel and caring doctors. It's OK to know ten causes of abdominal pain , but its another cup of tea altogether to tell if this patient has acute intermittent pophyria or simple appendicitis.
Dr Alok Modi MD

[Steve Workings]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

OK, you can get started by submitting articles to Jim Chapman for the Alpha Newsletter.

[rtbtat]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Workings is correct, the task of putting together a comprehensive A5 manual would be monumental. That's why I tip my hat to Ed Larrabee, who is doing an extraordinary job.

Nonetheless, on more than one occasion, Valerie and I discussed the idea of writing a version 6 book that does exactly what Stephen Williams suggested. We also set up appointments with a psychologist to check our sanity. All we need is about 6-8 months with no interruptions from family, friends, alpha users, and/or my ex-wife [and her attorney].

If we can somehow get through those 6-8 months, our next hurdle would be finding Alpha users who are willing to spend more than $10 for a book.

Robert T

[Mike Konoff]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

how about some sort of online "manual" section to access from within this site that covers different "how to's" such as what one would find in a manual that could be ammended, improved, and added to as A5 is ammended, improved, and added to - so that current A5 processes, mechanisms, an nuances are reflected accordingly?

A fee based access to this "manual" section?

I guess this would be up the the powers that be; Selwyn & Richard.

Just thinking out loud.

Mike

[Steve Workings]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Mike --

Have you seen the tutorials on Alpha's Learning Center page? Jim Chapman is responsible for most of them as well as the entire project. Jim tried real hard to get a bunch of people (yep, I'm one of 'em) to do a whole lot of these "how to" demos but, as usual, the project of the committee became the project of a committee of one. I did a couple and would like to find time for more, and I know Jim would welcome additions.

- Steve

[mronck]

RE: Pace Manuals and Alpha Community

Hi Guys,

My friend Alok has a good point, but at the same time Alok you forget that such a book is already excisting.
It is called "The Alpha Forum".

I completely agree with Steve Workings.
He sees what efforts would lie behind the idea, which idea by the way is very symphatic. The idea is a good one, but nevertheless not a possible one.

If you would try, you would get a more basic book that goes not deep enough into the details. We would not need such a book. Once you have read it, you'll no longer need it.

You need an Alpha Encyclopedia detailed to every possible edge of the database world.
This is not a task to be done by one person anyway.
I would not know of a person qualified enough for this, even not on this forum.
It would be a job for, indeed Steve, a group of specialists.

Steve was right to decline the offer, because it would be old already before it comes to the market.

You can only have such informative power if it is actual and online to be worked at every minute.
The phorum is the place to be if you search for that power.
Answers that do not yet excist will be discovered on the moment needed by experts on the forum that are willing to help.

Again, a book would never be detailed enough, to expensive to create, it would take too much time and a new version will be out before the book is on the market.
Investments would be huge and the price could never cover the investements. It would not be a clever thing to do.
Besides, we already have it: the forum.

Greetings,

Marcel