Better Examples in LiveCode Dictionary

[BarrySumpter]

Can we please have better examples in LiceCode Dictionary.
And have a heading as to which OS the example is for.

Better yet have a tick option in LIveCodeDictionary to only show the OS I've ticked.

[jacque]

Those things are already there.

[BarrySumpter]

why post if the response is so vague?

[jacque]

Partly because you usually aren't satisfied with my answers. But all right:

Better examples: "Better" is vague. Better how? The examples should work on all operating systems that support the command or function. If there are exceptions, they will be listed in the Comments section of the entry. The operating systems that are supported for the entry are at the top of the entry, represented as icons, next to the heading "Supported Operating Systems."

Show only the OS you're interested in: Make sure your preferences are set to show the operating systems column in the dictionary. I believe this is the default. You can also right-click anywhere in the dictionary's header bar to choose which columns to display. Once the OS column is showing, click its header to sort by OS. Then all the entries for that OS will be together.

[BarrySumpter]

Not being satisfied with an answer is my right.
I acknowledge being agro that I'm not satisfied with an answer is also a right.

I'm happy to clarify if needed.

Please don't think a single answer vague or verbose no matter the experiece will satisfy.

These are Feature Requests.
i.e. enhancements to LiveCode.
These aren't short comming stabs at LiveCode or RunRev or their people or other LiveCoders who are honestly trying to help.

This is not the beginners area where I'm asking for help for a topic.

As I've mentioned before in the Features Request I already know whats going on.
And whats going on is limiting my way of developing in an efficient manner.

Instead of replying like I'm a beginner posting in the beginners section,
try replying like I know what I'm writing about.

Work arounds are cool.
But again, I don't need the subject explained.
If I did I'd post in the beginners or other areas.

----

I'm asking for better examples in the livecode dictionary.
The examples are either so vague or from left field that they are useless.
Some examples are from a mixture of OSs that they are misleading.

Where we could have.
example
>Windows
>OSX
>Linux
>iOS
>Android
and I could have a properties ticked to show only >windows and >Android example expanded.

We could also have another area for hyperlinks to more samples or discussions.

[BvG]

I'd guess the problem here is what constitutes an example. for the dictionary, an examples main goal is to be a very short showcase of how the explained topic should be used in a script. Therefore it's actually not a good example for how to really use the explained term, and that has to be interpreted from the longer description part. Maybe a showcase could be added, kind of like Malte did in Animation Engine, where some explained topics have a "example" button that shows an actual working implementation and it's code, like a collision detection example where one drags circles around, and a field says "collision detected" or "no collision".

However, I guess the examples in the dictionary are not supposed to be examples in the sense of a tutorial or code guideline, where each example actually does something useful and/or nifty. I agree that having more precise examples could be useful, but having full tutorial-like examples should in my view be reserved for other venues, like the pdf documentation, or the script collection part of rev-online, or hidden behind a button, as described above.

[jacque]

See, I knew you wouldn't like my answer.

I'm curious though which entries you've found that both behave differently cross-platform and aren't clearly marked as relating to a particular OS.

[BarrySumpter]

Next time I stumble onto them I'll post them here, if I remember.

[TheCore]

I think BarrySumpter's request is a good one. I sense that more experienced Livecode users tend to pop their head out of their codeholes and spit at the newcomers asking about things they have known for years. I know 4 programming languages (not including "pure reading"-stuff like Java, HTML etc), and still I have som probs with getting inside Livecode at full, maybe because its so unnaturaly natural
As Barry, I wish there was a really good place with a load of samplecode, both for Livecode in general, but specially how to use it in a web environment/server as this is rather new. However, more samples in the referense dictonary is maybe not the best way. More samples on the net would be better, where users can contribute - like with xmpl. PHP or so. It would surely make the road shorter, and boy would newcomers to the programming-sphere love it. Thats the way to recruit more people to this impressing language. And more users is good for Livecode. But as I mentioned, this should maybe be put together by the community and not RunRev, which I think should continue to focus on developing Livecode.

[mwieder]

To concentrate on a single point here, because I think the OS thing *is* handled in the docs...

The documentation could indeed use better examples. I usually have to read between the lines to figure out the proper syntax, even after looking at the sparse examples provided. The lessons web site has better examples to plow through, but they're not as easy to search. I had to come up with some xml code the other day, and I find myself having to reinvent the wheel each time I go through that stuff. Searching through the listserv for examples is usually more rewarding, and it shouldn't be. The dictionary should be my first stop, and maybe my only one, and that isn't always the case.