Re: Drag-and-drop editing - PLEASE!

From: Bob Cozzi

If you choose to abandon a tool because it doesn't have one of your

favorite
UI conveniences then that's your prerogative.  What are you gonna do, Bob,
go
back to SEU?

No. I would go back to CodeStudio (but I don't want to)--which has some
limitations, but its much more Windows-like for editing, it is (imho)
vastly
superior to the RSE editor, unless you really LOVE SEU and want that
interface.

WDSC is better than CodeStudio in every facet, from syntax highlighting to
help text to content assist.

For example, how do you delete a line of source?
In CodeStudio you press Ctrl+D.
I cannot find an equivalent in WDSC.

Again, you don't understand the tool.  Mark the line (Shift down arrow) and
hit delete, just like in every other Windows editor.  And if that's
absolutely too much work for you, go to Preferences and bind Ctrl-D to
deleteLine in the User Key Actions.

I know I can move over to the SEU seqnbr and enter a D, then press Enter.
But I want to go back to green screen SEU every time I have to do that.

So don't do it, Bob.  Learn the tool.

Or are you going to just abandon a great product that everybody is using

because you can't drag and drop a line?

Ah... "everybody" isn't using it. If you find 5,000 users (out of what?
300,000 to 600,000 world-wide) using it, I'd be surprised.
"everybody" is subjective.

Let's put it this way: The number is greater every day.  You can't say that
about CodeStudio, and if we listen to the doomsayers, you can't even say
that about SEU and RPG.

No Joe, I want it to work, I want it to be successful. I am planning on
being a advocate for it.

Well, when you find the bandwagon is safe enough to hop on, those of us who
have been advocating it will welcome you. <smile>

I'm just very surprised that in 2006 a tool as strong as
WDSC
has many (all?) of the limitations and shortcomings that Editing that
CODE/400
had so many years ago.

A lack of understanding on your part is not a limitation on the tool's part.

Some of my experiences are simply a lack of time using RSE

Indeed.

--but that will change, I tend to pick things up quickly.

Okay.

And please don't compare a toy like Notepad that is bundled with a $200 OS
to
WDSC. Notepad is Windows' "UPDDTA" or SEU. It is not Microsoft Visual
Studio.
You expect and accept limitations in Notepad and SEU, you don't expect or
accept them in the professional development environment.

I have only seen one limitation: You can't drag and drop source.  You can
cut and paste it, you just can't drag and drop it.  Please name another
"limitation".

At some point the RPG community has to let go of the SEU/PDM/SDA nipple.
But if
the replacement offers that same user-interface, you'll only get limited
buy-in.

By keeping the SEU commands available, they make it easy for even the most
diehard of green screen users to move to the new interface, and then get up
to speed with the mouse-based commands at their own pace.

This is quite simply the best move IBM has made regarding the GUI.  The
best.

People that hate green screen editing will move to anything (even
Notepad), but
the majority will not see a compelling reason to go through a large
learning
curve only to do exactly what they are already doing, nearly the same way
they
are doing it, but with lipstick.

That would only be the case if the tool didn't offer the advanced editing
features that WDSC offers.  WDSC offers both, which in my mind is in keeping
with the concept of investment protection that is so key to the System i.
In my opinion, a company's most valuable IT asset is its programmers, not
its programs.  I think making those people as productive as possible by
offering a reasonable and defined transition path from the older
line-oriented command set to the new mouse-oriented techniques is absolutely
brilliant.

Remember, I teach this.  Nearly every week I teach new students how to use
this tool, and out of any 20 people, the Outline view, the search
capabilities and the content assist are usually enough to get buy-in from 19
of them.  There are a few people who may never make the transition, but
you'll find that with any technology.  Me, I find the uptake rate to be
phenomenal, especially when I start showing them things like Verify and
Service Entry Points.

The good news in WDSC 7, to me, is WDSC is a great improvement over the
old
CODE/400 package. I can load it, edit, close it down, open it back up, and
it
does all of that very quickly. It also doesn't take long to pull down a
member
and save it back to the host.

I'm glad you're happy with it, Bob.  It's good that someone of your stature
in the community is willing to embrace this technology.  It's just a little
disappointing that you're threatening to throw out the WDSC baby with the
drag-and-drop bathwater.

Joe