Mindboards

NeXT Commander 0.4.1.0 has been released. This release fixes some bugs that timpattinson found.

Get it here: http://nextcommander.sourceforge.net

SavedCoder

It would be better to notify users of a new update with a clickable URL, rather than doing the updates automatically.

- Xander

I do not understand why someone would write from scratch a tool that already exists rather than working to improve already existing tools. Or why someone would choose a name so similar to NeXT Command Center which is what my version of BricxCC for Linux and Mac OS X happens to be called. All of the capabilities that this new tool has already exist in more powerful and as easy to use forms in BricxCC and NeXT Tools for Linux/Mac OS X and NeXT Command Center for Linux/Mac OS X. What's the point? Why not join an existing SF project and help improve it instead of starting from scratch and competing?

John Hansen

John,

Maybe he doesn't know Delphi. I know I don't and I'd never contribute to a project I can't program for. Anyway, it's not such a bad thing to have a bit of competition, it's what keeps everyone on their toes

On another note, where is the source code for NeXT Commander? I couldn't find it on the SF page. SF hosts Open Source software, so you should make it available for download or did I miss a link somewhere?

- Xander

mightor wrote:It would be better to notify users of a new update with a clickable URL, rather than doing the updates automatically.

- Xander

It would of course ask before updating.

afanofosc wrote:I do not understand why someone would write from scratch a tool that already exists rather than working to improve already existing tools. Or why someone would choose a name so similar to NeXT Command Center which is what my version of BricxCC for Linux and Mac OS X happens to be called. All of the capabilities that this new tool has already exist in more powerful and as easy to use forms in BricxCC and NeXT Tools for Linux/Mac OS X and NeXT Command Center for Linux/Mac OS X. What's the point? Why not join an existing SF project and help improve it instead of starting from scratch and competing?

John Hansen

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know about BricxCC for Mac and Linux being called that. And honestly, I'm not really trying to compete with you, I like and use BricxCC. But BricxCC / NeXT Command Center is primarily an IDE (therefore primarily a program-centric interface) with the other tools as secondary features. NeXT Commander, on the other hand, has a NXT-centric interface, designed for quick access to the tools it includes, with nothing to do with programming. (Definately not competing with you there!)
Why don't I join BricxCC? Well, yeah like Xander said, I don't know Delphi, among other reasons.

mightor wrote:On another note, where is the source code for NeXT Commander? I couldn't find it on the SF page. SF hosts Open Source software, so you should make it available for download or did I miss a link somewhere?

The source is installed with NeXT Commander. Look in the folder you installed it to, you will see a subfolder named src.

I think the "competion is good" argument does not hold any water. I've got way too many other things to worry about than to try to keep my tools better than somebody else's tools. I didn't get involved with LEGO MINDSTORMS by making tools to compete with RCX Command Center. I joined the project.

Fragmentation of a small niche will help neither me nor savedcoder. There aren't enough users to keep dividing them up between different products. It would be better for the community to have more people helping to improve the compiler, the IDE, and the MINDSTORMS tools that are part of the BricxCC SF project.

If you know C/C++ you know enough to program in Pascal. It's like UK English vs US English. More often than not it is not a lack of knowledge that keeps C/C++ programs from programming in Pascal. It's just beneath them.

The NeXT Tools utility is just about tools. It is not an IDE.

And if you need the tools almost certainly you also need an IDE so why use tools from one provider that basically the same as the tools from the provider that also come with an IDE?

And what about all those Linux and Mac OS X users?

John Hansen

Afanofsoc, are you seriously suggesting that someone should not write a program on a subject which interests them if someone has already written something similar?

I Understand where John is coming from; if it exists, it would be better to improve than rebuild. Why reinvent the wheel?

However, I also understand wanting to start from scratch. Sometimes it is easier to do it all myself, rather than trying to understand someone else's project enough to add to it.

So from what I read from afanofosc has said, we should not copy or even try to improve on a current idea. Doesnt that go against what Lego and Mindstorms are all about. So I am not supposed to try and rebuild on another persons model or idea, or even improve on his build. Sounds communistic to me.

I don't think that's exactly right. I think John doesn't see much point in totally reinventing the tools. He is open to you (or others) modifying the existing ones.