Full screen calendar add-in??

[dmartens]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

As Steve notes, modules collaboratively developed and released is urgent and important to the A5 community, beyond the short-term goals of having any particular module (calendar or otherwise) available right now.

Alpha provides a great development environment, which is what they are best able to do for us. The developers in this forum can certainly take it forward from there.

The benefits of a collaborative volunteer effort would be:
1. (obviously,) certain modules would be available that are not currently available
2. One or more modules could be tailored for new users reference as an example of best coding practices. This fulfills a training role.
3. Seeing successful modules will encourage others to volunteer - success begets success
4. Maintaining a support system (file management and version control) would ensure that modules are maintained, described and available.
5. Less reinvention of the wheel of course
6. In other development communities, people who coordinate the volunteer efforts for a module are often professional developers who benefit from the industry and customer exposure that coordinating a well-known module provides. There's nothing like a well-known and admired project as evidence of one's ability to deliver good solutions.

I would really like to see a first effort at making such a collaborative volunteer effort work for A5. I would also like to be part of such an effort, although I recognize I don't have the A5-specific expertise to justify a leadership position.

As Steve's closing question implies, maybe similarly minded people need only raise their hand and see what response that produces. Among those people, some internal discussion should allow for the ball to get rolling from there.

[nigeldude]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

I so love where this is going, this is great, and very much needed.
I know of programs that by themselves are nothing, but with the great number of third party addins they are capable of so much, I have wondered why for such a great software as Alpha Five, how come the add ins and plug ins and add ons are so limited.

As for the Calendar add in, after I purchase it, I was a bit dissapointed, I expected much more.
I totaly support the notion that there is much room for a greater calendar plug in, with many more features, full screen being one of them, not just for web but also for desktop software creation. Another capability that I know many people want is a birthday/anniversary feature, and I would truely love a better layout for the daily view of appoinment/reminders etc. i've spent much time to no avail trying to come up with an axtivex or some other way to mimic the calendar features of Microsoft Outlook. I just love the way their days are outlined.

But not missing the big picture, I saw again, I love the idea of the collaborative efforet, I'm just sorry that I can partake since im not a programmer by codes. All the development I do with Alpha, Autoplay and the web is with visual development.

But Go Guys Go . . . . .Please!

You're on the right path.

[Pat Bremkamp]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

This is a great idea, in fact back when the Alpha Guild was still around, I had suggested creating a "Guild App" where the price for using the app was a contribution to it. I even offered to contribute the starting app. No one supported the idea at the time; there was a big power struggle going on to take over the Guild, so the Guild (and the idea) died.

Having purchased the Alpha products over the years, though, I've noticed a drawback that should be handled right at the beginning. That is table structures.

If everyone creates their own contribution independent of everyone else, then we'll have a situation where it's necessary to rewrite the entire app before it can be integrated into the work you are doing. There is no sense in having every app have it's own "people" table with different field names, field types and field sizes. If that happens, we have nothing!

So, I propose that the first task should be to come up with a common set of tables for everyone to design against. Again, I would contribute a starting point if there is enough interest.

Pat

[dmartens]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

I'm glad to see that people sense the benefit that collaborative development could have. Hopefully, that's not just from the perspective of getting something for free ;)

Pat, you bring up a good point, too. The fine line that a group must walk is between trying to do too much up-front and not doing enough. Your point about having a common foundation is quite important, of course.

From this thread, it's apparent that some interest in collaborative volunteer development exists. At least a couple of us are very interested.

If people are supportive in general, please continue to pass that along. Additionally, if people are interested in talking more about the possibilities, please say so one way or the other (e.g., as Pat has done).

Regards
Dave

[Steve Wood]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

This important conversation has started up and then died out way too many times. So I am petitioning Alpha to add a new Forum on this Message Board for this sort of conversation. The conversation cannot be sustained as long as it is mixed in with all these application development questions.

We already have a VAR forum (hidden unless you are a VAR). But that has had no activity, and its not public. I'd like to hear others second this idea and suggest a name for this Forum. My suggestion is to add a new Forum broadly named something like "Water Cooler" and with topic areas such as:

- User Groups
- Developer's Consortium
- Feature Wish List (which is inappropriately listed under the Desktop Forum)

Water Cooler is probably a bad Forum name, but I can't think of anything else. DataEase (where I came from) had this sort of area on their message board, and it had tons of insiteful activity. That area looked like this:

News & Other Interesting Stuff
- Blatant Advertising
- People
- Open Talk
- Humor

Jobs
- Full Time Positions
- Contract Positions
- Positions/App Development Wanted

[Scholin]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

Steve,

I think this is one of the most exciting proposals I have seen on this forum in my short time that I have been using Alpha.

Although I may be a hack when it comes to programming code, I would certainly be more than willing to test code on various systems and to assist in writing descriptions and/or support documentation.

"Water Cooler" - nothing wrong with that name.

Besides, it is not the name that is important - it is the collective energy and momentum behind this that will make this succeed or not.

You can count me in.

Thanks!

[nigeldude]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

Like I said before, there isnt a great deal i can do when it comes to actualy writing codes, but what I've found is that the tasks that i want to accomplish in alpha is usually not so common to other users, so I'm game to all this, ready and waiting to do what i can, and starting off new concepts for the more seasoned programmers to assist with.


Count me in too guys!

[acidcigarfiend]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

I know a few of us here would be interested in contributing when we have time.

[djldc]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

It's been two months since the last post on this and wanted to bring it back to the forefront. APLHA... are you listening? Have you considered Steve Woods suggestion to add a new forum for this type of collaboration? I have been using Alpha for just under a year. I have never programmed before and still know little (I work on my project for about two hours a day ONLY because I need to suppport my family with my full time job). BUT, I feel I have already created a neat little program that will some day benefit my profession (and hopefully, allow me to scale back my hours as a Chiropractor and help fund my three kids college). So, I don't think you need to be a programmer to contribute.

This forum hopefully will have the guidance of the guys/gals who have been around a while and also support from guys like me who could add other ideas. Anyone willing to take the leadership spot and delegate some duties?

p.s. for whatever its worth I would be happy to contribute a small program if this thing can get off the ground.

[Steve Wood]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

I'll get my document out - summarized responses from a few dozen people and suggests a path forward. I've also been working a "sandbox", a place for us to try out various tricks of the trade. Its at http://ideas.alphatogo.com. You can even register online; it's not 100% complete but you will quickly get what I am proposing to make available.

[Ezslim]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

I sure could use a full screen calendar add-in! :D

Any progress on getting this ready for prime-time?

[Steve Wood]

Re: Full screen calendar add-in??

The calendar I developed is a rendition of Peter Wayne's calendar code from his recent book. I don't think what I created is any easier than his code, in fact probably harder. So I don't really have anything in addition to provide given you'd have the same amount of work with either calendar.