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evilgoddssOkay, I don’t pretend to know programming. Ever. It’s one of those things I wanted to learn, but my pathetic high-school had our math-teachers teaching computers because they thought they’d know the most.
For reference – these teachers so didn’t know a thing. I taught my computer course back in 1997 because I knew the most. The teacher just sat there and would blatantly turn to me and ask how to do ‘something’ that was in the text. And, if that was a fluke --my brother taught his classmates with side-long comments to the teacher when he took his own course.
Anyway, my co-workers are having issues with the guy doing the database. He’s programming it in VB. If someone out there knows Visual Basic well enough, and can offer insights, or feedback to whether their programmer knows what he’s taking about, or if they’re being unreasonable in their expectations... please let me know. The more info you can give, the more helpful it is.
Problem A
Our department wants the colour for each subclass pre-determined, not changeable. This related to the "pop-ups" background, or a border around pop-up. In her words: “No, the colour should be pre-determined & fixed. Only the ‘controller’ level will have the option to re-assign / change the colour for Cdn, US or all.
I believe you are referring to our notes on page 1 of “Misc. Notes of Importance”. (third point from the bottom). The reason for different background colours for these options is so that the user can easily identify visually which mode, or shall I say, ‘country’ they are working on.
Should you have other suggestions on how we can better identify this for the user, we are open to alternatives”
The programmer replied:
“Let me explain you this color sequence part before I go ahead with my questions on this. To change the color sequence in VB, we would have to store data in database and while each form is being displayed the data from the database will be extracted and the colors displayed. Now this process would have some speed effect on the forms displayed. This effect will nto be visible on a fast P4 machines, but will surely be vislble on a slow P2 or P3 machines. Although I appreciate your vision on having different color schemes for different countires / modes – implementing this would also mean that I design and develop modules that will store color information for the application. This is not a complicated process but surely requires time. If you still want to implement this then here are my question:
Please explain what exactly do you mean by “Controller” level. Do you mean to say that a user with administrative power will have access to change the color sequence?
Our question: Is it really that complicated to program background colours toggled to recognize the market (US or Cdn) that it’s showing information from? Or to perhaps put a US or Cdn flag up as it shows the data?
Problem B
The programmer and my coworkers are having a difference on opinion for the functionality of the keyboard. As below:
The Programmer wrote:
“The ENTER key on every screen by default performs the main function of the screen, while the ESC. Key performs the function to exit a screen if it is a pop up. Now if I provide the enter key functionality the way you want then if the cursor is in the search box then it will search and if the cursor is in the other box then it will perform the other basic functionality. Is this what you want?”
My people wrote back: “ESC key – this should be used to exit the current pop up or screen the user is in. ENTER key – the enter key is not necessarily to perform a function of ‘the screen’, but instead to perform the function of the field which the cursor is currently in. In other words, the ENTER key when used should cursor the user along to the next field. (Like in Excel. You hit enter, it moves down a row, and the formulae above is executed.)
The ARROW keys and the TAB keys must also be available / interchangeable throughout the financial module. The TAB key must behave as per it’s universal standard (to move to the next field in a sequence), as must the ARROW KEYS.
The Programmer replied:
“This (ESC. / ENTER) is not the default behavior of the applications in VB and I will have to code this process extensively. It will be done.
We have limitations when we work with grids that are available in VB. Although there are advanced 3rd party grids available in the market that behave in manner required by you, we generally do not use them in applications as there is some learning curve attached to using those grids and due to the high cost of acquiring them clients do not use these grids much.
In text boxes other than grids, tabs help navigate from one box to another and that’s their default behaviour defined by windows, while arrow keys behave as arrow keys within a box itself. In case you want to use arrow keys for navigation too then it is going to be a huge task.
Our Question: Extensively? This is abnormal? You hit enter and it can’t execute a function and shift to the next field? Until maybe you hit OK and it ends the “page” and saves the data in the database? And you can’t tab between fields to move from say % rate, to amortization period, to principal paid out?
Again, thanks for any and all responses. My coworkers seem to think I know everything, and keep asking me these questions when I openly admit to knowing NOTHING about programming.
For reference – these teachers so didn’t know a thing. I taught my computer course back in 1997 because I knew the most. The teacher just sat there and would blatantly turn to me and ask how to do ‘something’ that was in the text. And, if that was a fluke --my brother taught his classmates with side-long comments to the teacher when he took his own course.
Anyway, my co-workers are having issues with the guy doing the database. He’s programming it in VB. If someone out there knows Visual Basic well enough, and can offer insights, or feedback to whether their programmer knows what he’s taking about, or if they’re being unreasonable in their expectations... please let me know. The more info you can give, the more helpful it is.
Problem A
Our department wants the colour for each subclass pre-determined, not changeable. This related to the "pop-ups" background, or a border around pop-up. In her words: “No, the colour should be pre-determined & fixed. Only the ‘controller’ level will have the option to re-assign / change the colour for Cdn, US or all.
I believe you are referring to our notes on page 1 of “Misc. Notes of Importance”. (third point from the bottom). The reason for different background colours for these options is so that the user can easily identify visually which mode, or shall I say, ‘country’ they are working on.
Should you have other suggestions on how we can better identify this for the user, we are open to alternatives”
The programmer replied:
“Let me explain you this color sequence part before I go ahead with my questions on this. To change the color sequence in VB, we would have to store data in database and while each form is being displayed the data from the database will be extracted and the colors displayed. Now this process would have some speed effect on the forms displayed. This effect will nto be visible on a fast P4 machines, but will surely be vislble on a slow P2 or P3 machines. Although I appreciate your vision on having different color schemes for different countires / modes – implementing this would also mean that I design and develop modules that will store color information for the application. This is not a complicated process but surely requires time. If you still want to implement this then here are my question:
Please explain what exactly do you mean by “Controller” level. Do you mean to say that a user with administrative power will have access to change the color sequence?
Our question: Is it really that complicated to program background colours toggled to recognize the market (US or Cdn) that it’s showing information from? Or to perhaps put a US or Cdn flag up as it shows the data?
Problem B
The programmer and my coworkers are having a difference on opinion for the functionality of the keyboard. As below:
The Programmer wrote:
“The ENTER key on every screen by default performs the main function of the screen, while the ESC. Key performs the function to exit a screen if it is a pop up. Now if I provide the enter key functionality the way you want then if the cursor is in the search box then it will search and if the cursor is in the other box then it will perform the other basic functionality. Is this what you want?”
My people wrote back: “ESC key – this should be used to exit the current pop up or screen the user is in. ENTER key – the enter key is not necessarily to perform a function of ‘the screen’, but instead to perform the function of the field which the cursor is currently in. In other words, the ENTER key when used should cursor the user along to the next field. (Like in Excel. You hit enter, it moves down a row, and the formulae above is executed.)
The ARROW keys and the TAB keys must also be available / interchangeable throughout the financial module. The TAB key must behave as per it’s universal standard (to move to the next field in a sequence), as must the ARROW KEYS.
The Programmer replied:
“This (ESC. / ENTER) is not the default behavior of the applications in VB and I will have to code this process extensively. It will be done.
We have limitations when we work with grids that are available in VB. Although there are advanced 3rd party grids available in the market that behave in manner required by you, we generally do not use them in applications as there is some learning curve attached to using those grids and due to the high cost of acquiring them clients do not use these grids much.
In text boxes other than grids, tabs help navigate from one box to another and that’s their default behaviour defined by windows, while arrow keys behave as arrow keys within a box itself. In case you want to use arrow keys for navigation too then it is going to be a huge task.
Our Question: Extensively? This is abnormal? You hit enter and it can’t execute a function and shift to the next field? Until maybe you hit OK and it ends the “page” and saves the data in the database? And you can’t tab between fields to move from say % rate, to amortization period, to principal paid out?
Again, thanks for any and all responses. My coworkers seem to think I know everything, and keep asking me these questions when I openly admit to knowing NOTHING about programming.
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-05 05:28 pm (UTC)Problem A:
The color data will have to be stored either in a database or in some kind of resource file. But, when the application loads all of the color information could be put into a table/dataset in memory, so the speed won't be a problem since it doesn't have to make any additional calls to the database. Especially if there are only two options for the colors.
Problem B:
It arrow keys/tab key shouldn't be any big deal at all. That's the default behavior for those keys.
The enter key thingie is non-standard Windows behavior. It's more of a mainframe standard. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but it will take a bit of programming since now the KeyUp, KeyDown and KeyPressed events must all be checked and some kind of Select...Case statement whipped up. But it can be done.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-05 05:43 pm (UTC)Okay, the Problem B enter key thingie -- "a bit of programming" is this understatement for "a little bit of work, but not going to cause a man to go into hibernation for a week" or "enough work to keep this guy busy and billing you by the hour for a month".
Did I mention I love you? In a look-a-guru sort of admire-the-genius way?
no subject
Date: 2006-04-05 06:16 pm (UTC)Let me give you
"It depends".
It depends on how many different things there are on the page for it to evaluate and do. Each field/action will need to be created/programmed separately. And tested. And debugged.
So depending on the complexity of the actions, it shouldn't be that hard. It's not an impossible task, nor should it take forever. In and of itself, that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty o' other things that might make it take forever!
Bob, if I'm wrong, correct me.
Date: 2006-04-05 06:17 pm (UTC)If he's using VB.net, there's a frickin' panel on the side that allows you to specify key behaviors using an interface instead of even having to hard code it - even I know how to do that, and on a programming level, I'm an idiot. ;)
on a programming level, Anya. Shut it.
Re: Bob, if I'm wrong, correct me.
Date: 2006-04-05 06:22 pm (UTC)That's for wussies!
He should really be required to do it in Machine Code. That'll teach him to complain.
Re: Bob, if I'm wrong, correct me.
Date: 2006-04-05 07:59 pm (UTC);).
Hi, I'm a wussy. ;)
Date: 2006-04-05 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-05 09:24 pm (UTC)