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Subject: Re: GUI or not (OT)

Author: Roy Eassa

Date: 15:05:30 04/04/02

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On April 04, 2002 at 17:40:52, Heiner Marxen wrote:

>On April 04, 2002 at 17:01:15, Roy Eassa wrote:
>
>>On April 04, 2002 at 16:04:11, Roy Eassa wrote:
>>
>>>On April 04, 2002 at 15:45:30, James T. Walker wrote:
>>>
>>>>On April 04, 2002 at 14:54:09, Heiner Marxen wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On April 04, 2002 at 12:49:04, James T. Walker wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>How do I get a working version of Chest??
>>>>>>Jim
>>>>>
>>>>>See  http://www.drb.insel.de/~heiner/Chess/chest.html
>>>>>
>>>>>I offer source, only (ANSI-C).
>>>>>Dann Corbit also offers win-32 binaries (my page has a link).
>>>>>
>>>>>Cheers,
>>>>>Heiner
>>>>
>>>>It seems like a nice program to have/use.  I just don't feel like taking a 3
>>>>semester hour course in how to get it up and running.
>>>>Jim
>>>
>>>
>>>It looks like you have to take the EPD that's already in your Windows clipboard,
>>>paste it into a text file, save the text file to disk, then run Chest from the
>>>command line, giving it the path to the text file you just created/saved.
>>>
>>>I think it would be good to be able to paste a single EPD right into the command
>>>line as a parameter, but I don't see that that's an option.  Permitting this
>>>would facilitate creating a GUI front end (which otherwise would have to use a
>>>temporary file or something as a way to get the EPD into Chest).
>>>
>>>I was a command line jockey in the '70s and '80s, but have given up my "memorize
>>>and type" ways for "recognize and point" (i.e., GUI).
>>
>>
>>Wait ... wait ... I am beginning to see the light!
>>
>>Let's get RID of steering wheels for cars.  Cars should be steered by a command
>>line interface!  Of course, why didn't I see it before!
>>
>>automobile.com -buick -steer -right -degrees -80
>>
>>And televisions too ... you change the channel by typing:
>>
>>television.exe -living room -channel -change 003
>>
>>That's so much better than pressing a button or two!
>>
>>And if you have an itch to scratch, don't reach up and scratch it.  Just type:
>>
>>c:\program files\human body\me.exe -skin -scratch d:\my itches\forehead.txt
>>
>>(Of course you have already saved details about the itch in a text file called
>>forehead.txt.)
>
>
>If you don't like Chest the way it is... just don't use it (pun intended).
>I happen to be a CLI type, have written a program I use for myself,
>and give it away to anybody who wants it, for free.  That should be ok.
>
>If you would offer me a GUI program, I probably would not want to use it.
>That's of course my problem, not yours.  Fine.
>
>I have learned to make good use of Unix shells & tools, I'm happy with that,
>and will stick to it, where possible.  You appear to have found a quite
>different approach, making good used of GUIs, and appear to be happy with that.
>Fine!
>
>Let's coexist ;-)
>
>I'll now go and fetch a beer in the pub, and will calm down, again.
>
>Cheers,
>Heiner.


Heiner, I think Chest is great and it's wonderful that you've made it available
for free.  There is nothing that comes close to its speed and abilities, AFAIK.

I meant no offense to you at all and I apologize if offense was taken.

I was joking with those who seem to believe that a CLI is the _only_ acceptable
way to do most everything.  There ARE some things in the universe that are
better done withOUT a CLI  -- like driving a car, tuning a TV, or scratching an
itch.

Again, I think Chest works GREAT just the way it is and I would NOT ever ask you
to change it.  I thank you for making it available to the world.

I WOULD hope somebody might agree that, if you are running Windows and already
have the EPD in the clipboard, being able to paste it and hit "solve" would be a
quicker and easier way to go.  Additionally, I was originally hoping that
somebody might already have created a conduit to Chest that permits just such a
shortcut.  The fact that there is no such tool is fine; the fact that people
seem to think it's crazy to even dream of such a thing is what provoked my
attempt at humor.

Again, I do NOT mean to negate any of the incredible work you've done in Chest
-- of all 6 billion people on Earth, nobody has created something as good.  I
also do NOT wish to state that a GUI is better in all circumstances or even in
most -- just that it would be helpful in SOME.

I'll gladly buy you a beer next time I'm in your area.



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