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Subject: Re: GUI or not (OT)

Author: Heiner Marxen

Date: 07:35:30 04/05/02

Go up one level in this thread


On April 04, 2002 at 18:05:30, Roy Eassa wrote:

>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.


Obviously I completely misunderstood.
Sorry for that, I apologize.  (I also just answered your e-mail)


>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.

Of course it is not crazy.  A GUI on top of Chest would be nice,
and really useful for many, which probably do not yet use it at all,
just because there is no GUI.

>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.

Berlin?  Great!  I'd be very pleased to meet you here!  :-))

Cheers,
Heiner



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