WSSDa feedback -- WDSCI-L

Paul, this is a beautifully detailed list! Exactly what we need. I have
some
responses for you:

1. Performance of editing.
PC>> Yes indeed, we know we need to improve open/save time. We are
PC>> working on it right now.

2. Tree view and properties.
PC>> There is an alternative to the tree view-> on a filter you can select
PC>> to open a table view showing primary information in columns (ala
PC>> PDM). However, it is not terribly functional this release, but next
PC>> release will be awesome, including pdm-like support for direct
PC>> editing of cells, positioning, subsetting and a full range of actions.

3. LPEX
PC>> I've forewarded on to the developers.

4. Syntax checking
PC>> This first release we focused on the IDE, and the very core editor
PC>> support (total rewrite in Java). Next release we are start building on
PC>> that to add in all the good language-sensitive stuff like syntax
PC>> checking. We assume most CODE user's will just use the Open With
PC>> CODE Editor action until then, except for quick editing tasks.

5. Library list.
PC>> The library list filter is just a default to get access to what's on
your
PC>> library list. In the next release it will support the usual actions
for
PC>> manipulating the list (eg, add, remove, move up/down). You can
PC>> set your library list per connection via the properties dialog on
PC>> the iSeries Commands object under the connection. Allowing this
PC>> to be set per filter pool is a very interesting idea... but you can
PC>> achieve this today by having a separate connection which uniquely
PC>> references that filter pool. This is one of the reasons we allow
PC>> multiple connections per host.

6. Minimizing views.
PC>> This really is not something Eclipse supports. It is not a multiple
PC>> document interface ... it is an IDE. The idea is you close the view
PC>> if you don't want to see it, and reopen it if you do. And as long as
PC>> it is parked behind the other views it shouldn't get in your way.
PC>> Or, drag it to the vertical bar on the left where the open
perspectives
PC>> are listed. Then just click on it there when you need it.

7. Joblog view
PC>> The job log window is tied to the iSeries Jobs subsystem. You use
PC>> this to drill down to your jobs, and then use actions to start, stop,
halt,
PC>> resume or show the job log. For the current session, the Commands
PC>> view is your job log, in the sense it logs all commands you've run,
PC>> either implicitly or explicitly.

Regarding my comments about MS Studio, I did not mean to imply we
have twice as much function as MS Studio. I was simply rejecting your
claim that we are a "half function" product as I think you put it.

The reason we mix CODE and WSSDA today is that we encourage
using WSSDA as the main IDE, and using the supplied actions to launch
existing CODE components like the editor and designer. This way, they
complement each other.  However, your point is well taken.

Thanks again Paul... don't give up on us! We'll get you happy and
productive yet :-).

Phil Coulthard, iSeries Software Architect,  IBM Canada Ltd.
coulthar@ca.ibm.com. 905-413-4076, t/l 969-4076

----- Forwarded by Phil Coulthard/Toronto/IBM on 08/17/2002 02:33 PM -----

                      <Paul.Nicolay@Pan
                      dora.be>                 To:       <wdsci-l@midrange.com>
                      Sent by: "Paul           cc:       Phil 
Coulthard/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA
                      Nicolay"                 Subject:  WSSDa feedback
                      <Paul.Nicolay@Adv
                      alvas.be>


                      08/17/2002 07:54
                      AM
                      Please respond to
                      Paul.Nicolay





Hi Phil,

Some feedback...

1. The performance of the filters so far is very good (I'm using a limited
test project however with no more than 100 elements in it).  The
performance
of the editing (loading/saving a source member) is also good on a local
LAN... for my VPN from home this is to slow for even small members (TN5250
is the fastest C/S protocol... I don't see how you'll ever solve this).

2. The tree view is nice, but it lacks the description of the member.  The
fact that it is shown in the properties window is no replacement (yet
another window), and with the seperate detailed window one has two windows
(of which the detailed is useless in my opinion... you can't perform the
options on it).

3. The LPEX editor has still strange things... why don't I get a newline if
a press Enter while in insert mode (the only thing that works is
CTRL-Enter).  Also, where do I customize other keys (I love the half-page
down, the field-exit, the ALT-arrow of CA, how do I get easy to the
line-number area, ....) ?

4. The LPEX editor color codes my source (however I would like to see
constants in another color as well).  When will it do syntax checking ?

5. What is the purpose of the library list ?  Just that I can see what it
is, or is there more behind it ?  When using pools, I feel like working on
a
project (ie. different library list)... it would be nice if the library
list
could be linked somehow to this.

6. Windows can't be minimized.  While editing, I have no need for the
command window, but the only thing I can do with it is close... and opening
it goes only via the menu ?

7. In the joblog window I haven't seen anything so far.  I tried calling a
program that caused some logging, but I couldn't find this ?  What is the
purpose of the joblog window ? Why isn't it showing the sessions joblog ?

I probably forgot many issues I currently have with WSSDa, but I hope this
is a good start to give your team some ideas about what lives with the
current users.  Now I hope your team is as responsive, or even much more
(they have a base which you're lacking), as the one from Barbara and Hans
(ie. RPG development)

Personally, I think for a real 5250 user (like myself) it will be hard to
make the move, however I must admit that the Eclipse based project looks
promising if it can meet the users requirements at an incredible speed.
This means very frequent updates (and not having to wait 2 months for a new
feature) that are easy to install.

I made some remarks about Microsoft Visual Studio, and you commented that
it
doesn't contain half as much tools as WDSc.  While this might be true, the
base (and this is what users compare on initially) is good for 90% of the
community.  Again, if you release a product today that doesn't do syntax
checking... I think your credibility drops at lightspeed to below zero !

Also make WSSDa a completely seperarte product.  The confusion you
currently
create is huge... and if WSSDa is not complete yet, that one create the
option to install it together with WDT, but DO NOT mix them.  It should be
made clear to the user that WSSDa is the new way, and you don't do that
with
including Code/400, ...

Kind regards,
Paul


-----Original Message-----
From: wdsci-l-admin@midrange.com [mailto:wdsci-l-admin@midrange.com]On
Behalf Of coulthar@ca.ibm.com
Sent: vrijdag 16 augustus 2002 23:33
To: wdsci-l@midrange.com
Subject: [WDSCI-L] Re: WDSC Notes


Craig, on behalf of the team here, we want to thank you for taking the time
to try the tools and give us
some detailed feedback. It is only through this iterative exercise we are
able to ultimately create the
product you want to have and will use. So, thanks!

You comments have been dispersed among the team here and they will
undoubtedly help influence
our future releases.

Off the top of my head, I did want to respond about the RSE performance,
and your attempt to use Search.
It is true that large lists will indeed take a while to load (known
problem... there is some threshold over which
the performance goes from awesome to not awesome, somewhere in the hundreds
we think). However,
while we work on this problem, we very strongly encourage the use of the
filters to produce a reasonably
sized list ... we think that is most productive for you anyway as it saved
serious scrolling. We have other feedback
from users who have smaller lists that the performance  is great, and from
others who initially complained
about the performance until they tried using filters to subset the list.

Can we ask you a couple questions:
  - for your slow list, how many items are in your list? To find out, after
expanding a parent, select the parent
    and look at the property sheet view (little pane) and look at the
property for "Number of children".
  - would you mind creating a filter? Eg, select "Your objects..." and add
a filter with your library name and some
    filtering criteria, such as by name (eg, ABC*) or object type.  We'd be
curious how the performance is
    for filtered lists. Or if your lists were for members, use "Your
members...".

If you go to Windows-Preferences and select the Remote Systems tree item on
the left, you will see an
option to remember your tree view. We'd be interested to see what you think
of this... when turned on, when
you re-start the IDE it will return your RSE tree view to the same state it
was in when you left.

Our goal is the make your more productive with the RSE than you are with
PDM (well, minus the IDE startup cost,).
Any feedback you or others have to help us in this goal is very much
appreciated. Eg, we have added a bit
of stuff already, beyond PDM:
  - persistent filters and ability to pool filters (you have to turn on
Show Filter Pools in preferences)
  - ability to expand files to see records, and fields
  - common properties shown in property sheet (or use the popup menu item
to show a table view ala pdm)
  - exhaustive properties info via the Properties popup menu

Phil Coulthard, iSeries Software Architect,  IBM Canada Ltd.
coulthar@ca.ibm.com. 905-413-4076, t/l 969-4076


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