Update - for Fun,

[Ali Cat]

I have not chimed in lately but I have been busy and the last few days have been interesting. I thought some might (?) like an update. I've been working on that “Your First Gauge” tutorial so I needed some artwork. I should not have done it because so much artwork is available but I did anyway. I made my first serious attempt at creating my own. Here is the gauge background at this point.


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For the drafting of the tutorial I wanted a word processor that could make PDF's. After some research I downloaded OpenOffice. I can report that with this application I am very pleased. I am hammering at the tutorial and I have yet to read the first line of a help file – it seems just intuitive. Here is an excerpt from the tutorial to be via OpenOffice.


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Happy CFS2'ing,
AC

[simonu]

Looks interesting, Ali Cat takes us step by step setting up a C compiler, some people have an aversion to working on a Command line but I am looking forward to studying this AC. Cheers.

[Jagdflieger]

Love to see creativity at work.

[Ali Cat]

Thanks for the kind words. It's an interesting project and I am enjoying it a great deal.

Simonu – on the command line/IDE issue. In case someone doesn't know IDE stands for “Integrated Development Environment – basically a windows application used to assist writing code. I've given a great deal of thought on whether to write the tutorial using an IDE. Originally, I planned to use one but then doubts crept in. I have succeeded in building a gauge with the Eclipse IDE and this is one very nice tool. It's just that I keep thinking of my target audience which is the non-coder. The command line route is simple and direct. For now I decided to go with command line though I'm still not sure which is best. Anyway, it's a place to start and I can always write a tutorial using Eclipse if the interest is there.


AC

[Shessi]

Great stuff AC, really looking forward to this.

Good to start simple and then build on that. At least with cmd line, WYSIWYG!

Shessi

BTW nice looking gauge.

[Ali Cat]

Enthusiasm shot – thanks man. And from one who packs high caliber …

On the painting “thingy” I'm still very humble. I've learned more and I'm getting better but still what some of the masters here can do – well awe is a good word.

And I did say for fun, right? Here's another excerpt.

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AC

[aeronca1]

Excellent! I'm really looking forward to the finished product given that I'm a "propeller-head" coder myself.

On your decision to go command-line, I think it's a good decision. As people progress in their coding skills, they develop personal preferences and an IDE is definitely in this category. I tried several before I settled on my current setup, but having said that, I still look at everything new to see if I can do better.

[Ali Cat]

“propeller head” coder – I like it and yes I have to admit it I LOL'ed.

Thanks for the post and also always good to meet a fellow coder. The project is taking longer than I thought (don't they always) but it should be weeks rather than months. Beyond the challenges of the task there's this God awful heat wave. As I work outside some evenings there just isn't much left. Not to worry though – we're very careful and are surviving it down here in the deep south.


Ready for September,
AC