Low Hanging Fruit

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 13:25

If we ever get the ERS back, I hope it occupies a visible place on this forum and I think it would be a great idea for it to include a category for low hanging fruit ... stuff that can't possibly take much effort and which could be knocked off quickly by one of the new teams.

Today's candidate is getting rid of the 12 character limit on stream names.   How ridiculous!!!

All Replies

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 13:34

I have a couple:

1) not being able to specify a method as a response target for sockets

2) not having a high level ABL widget for sockets. (I know you can roll your own, but really ...)

3) no  inter-process messaging

4) still having v9 installations in the wild **

5) (new SomeObject()):SomeMethod()

6) no write-json() or write-xml() on a table or table row (db, not temptable)

7) no write-json() or write-xml() on a class

8) having char and longchar. Longchar will do

9) only Progress.lang.object allowed in temp-tables

10) no enums

11) no dynamic array (keeping the contents)

I could go on ...

** Joking ...

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 13:35

Arrggh.

12) no regex

Posted by Admin on 21-Feb-2012 13:36

Stream names? Are you serious?

I'd have expected that YOU'd be wrapping each stream in an object of its own and then the actual stream identifier would be pointless...

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 13:45

In fact, the occassion for the remark is code that is unlikely to have any streams at all when it is done, having replaced what is now just being dumped to files so that I can see how it is working with putting stuff in a database.  So, yeah, if there are streams in the end they will be well encapsulated.  I still think a 12 character limit is ridiculous.  Only paying attention to the first 12 would be bad enough, but not allowing the 13th character is just stupid.

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 13:46

Some of those might not qualify as low hanging ... but that doesn't mean they aren't desirable.

Posted by Admin on 21-Feb-2012 13:51

5) (new SomeObject()):SomeMethod()

What's the point here?

(NEW NewObjectSomeMethod.Foo ()):FooMethod ().

works fine on 10.2B and 11.0

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 13:53

the point is that it is stupid to have to require the extra ()

you should be able to say

new NewObjectSomeMethod.Foo ():FooMethod ().

at least then the editor would also give you intellisense and completion of methods / properties etc

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 13:55

tamhas wrote:

In fact, the occassion for the remark is code that is unlikely to have any streams at all when it is done, having replaced what is now just being dumped to files so that I can see how it is working with putting stuff in a database.  So, yeah, if there are streams in the end they will be well encapsulated.  I still think a 12 character limit is ridiculous.  Only paying attention to the first 12 would be bad enough, but not allowing the 13th character is just stupid.

I do hope you're not serious

"Only paying attention to the first 12 would be bad enough,"

you would be happy for

AStreamNameXX

and

AStreamNameXY

to be treated the same if they were defined in the same procedure / class ?

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 13:56

I don't see any of these as hard to implement ...

Posted by Admin on 21-Feb-2012 14:01

the point is that it is stupid to have to require the extra ()

From previous discussions on extra parentesis or quotes with the developers, I've had to understand that those are notnecessary low hanging fruits. Did you ever wonder why you have to put the classname of an .NET object array or generic type into quotes?

Posted by Admin on 21-Feb-2012 14:01

If we ever get the ERS back, I hope it occupies a visible place on this forum and I think it would be a great idea for it to include a category for low hanging fruit ... stuff that can't possibly take much effort and which could be knocked off quickly by one of the new teams.

An ERS with an opportunity to vote for existing requests without the need to open a tech support case of its own when an existing enhancement request makes it (accidentially) into the PANS mail would be cool. And how difficult could that be to develop with all the cool products Progress Software has.

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 14:03

No.  I did not say that I would be happy with 12 significant ... that is the road to danger as your example illustrates.   I was simply saying that while 12 significant would be bad enough, not even allowing the 13th character makes it even more ridiculous.

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 14:04

If so, then fine ... but I wouldn't be surprised to find that some involved issues that were not that simple.

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 14:11

Possibly, with .net it's an issue.

however, in discussions with Shelly, this particular one was

classified as an "oops. We should fix that"

On 21 February 2012 20:01, Mike Fechner

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 14:11

If you have a limit of 12, then not allowing the 13th character makes

all the sense in the world to me. What am I missing ?

On 21 February 2012 20:03, Thomas Mercer-Hursh

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 14:11

the same reason why the KB moved to salesforce

On 21 February 2012 20:01, Mike Fechner

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 14:16

Well, it keeps one from shooting oneself in the foot ... but stupid either way.

In the specific case that triggered the post, 13 would have done and the first 12 were unique and I ended up having to use "Valu" instead of "Value" to get it to compile.

It is the sort of limit I expect from a 1980s BASIC.

Posted by jmls on 21-Feb-2012 14:21

640k ought to be enough for anyone

On 21 February 2012 20:16, Thomas Mercer-Hursh

Posted by Peter Judge on 21-Feb-2012 18:06

new NewObjectSomeMethod.Foo ():FooMethod ().

This is a bug already (OE00195481).

-- peter

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 21-Feb-2012 18:23

We *know* its a bug, Peter!  The question is when will you fix it?

Posted by jmls on 22-Feb-2012 01:16

this is not a bug. This is an apple just about to be picked.

that's one removed from the LHF list

Posted by SJProgress on 22-Feb-2012 01:21

Vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht! Ich werde ab Mo. 27.02. wieder im Büro sein und Ihre Email-Nachricht beantworten.

Mit freundlichen Grüssen - Josef Siegetsleitner, Easyrent Software Entwicklung

Thank you for your message! I will return to my office on Feb, 27th and will answer your email then.

Best regards - Josef Siegetsleitner - Easyrent Software Development

Posted by Peter Judge on 28-Feb-2012 09:51

jmls wrote:

I have a couple:

11) no dynamic array (keeping the contents)

Technically, a couple is two , not 11 10 9.

On the dynamic array question: would a Progress.Lang.[Char|Int|Date|etc]Array object that does this suffice? Just curious .

-- peter

Posted by Admin on 28-Feb-2012 10:01

On the dynamic array question: would a Progress.Lang.[Char|Int|Date|etc]Array object that does this suffice?

Yes! (for me)

Give us more objects ... And a Progress.Lang.ObjectArray as well.

And once you've opened that box, a Progress.Lang.Array a generic, typesafe array would be handy.

This thread is closed