Development Update

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wdavatar?user=leiger
leiger
08 Sep 2012 14:13. Edited 2 times. (Edit, Permalink)

Due to the lack of updates recently (caused by a lack of development), I thought I'd give a little teaser of the improvements that the next major update for STE has over what you are currently using (most likely the 3.50 release).

Highlights include:

  • Open an entire site at once, not just individual pages
  • You no longer need to repetitively type in long site and page names!
  • Double-click on a page name to edit
  • Completely multi-threaded! No frozen application while something else loads.
  • Regular progress updates: A progress bar at the bottom of the application is used for every lengthy task, giving you an idea of how long it will take.
  • Automatically download updates without visiting the website, using the all-new launcher.

And there is more to come, as many of those are under-the-hood updates that make the UI improvements possible.

I'm not quite ready to release a video showcasing the changes, despite some of the features being easier to demonstrate that way. However, I will give you a screenshot of the editor view. In this case, the Wikidot Community site has been opened for editing:

ste4-editor-community.png

Also, I previously mentioned on Twitter that STE would not be integrated with the "Colombo" project when the next major update is released. I am currently in the process of revising that decision, and looking at ways to integrate the two. So integration at launch is a possibility.

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wdavatar?user=govegan
GoVegan

08 Sep 2012 15:08. Edited 0 times. (Edit, Permalink)
I would suggest pushing STE version 4 out as soon as possible to avoid "Second System Syndrome".

Honestly, it sounds like it's very near being a fully functional product, so it's already going to be better than the last one!

If you want to implement the mysterious Columbo with it to make it even better, save that for version 5!

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wdavatar?user=leiger
leiger

08 Sep 2012 15:38. Edited 1 times. (Edit, Permalink)
Oh … I have much grander plans for version 5 :)

I had to look up the definition of "Second System Syndrome". I have heard the term before, but was not completely sure of the meaning. Wikipedia has this to say:

In computing, the second-system effect or sometimes the second-system syndrome refers to the tendency, when following on from a relatively small, elegant, and successful system, to design the successor as an elephantine, feature-laden monstrosity.

James: Point taken :)

I can't bring myself to release an unfinished product, but I can lower the definition of what 'finished' means, and I'll do that.

When working on my own projects I constantly found myself compiling a copy of STE 4 just so that I could use it, despite it seriously lacking some of the more basic 3.50 features. So it's definitely useful at this point, but I still want to add a couple more things before release.

And James, nice profile picture! I just noticed that it's a new one.

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wdavatar?user=govegan
GoVegan

08 Sep 2012 16:10. Edited 0 times. (Edit, Permalink)
I suppose I was looking for "Version 2 Syndrome", but the internet doesn't seem to have a term for it.

Wikipedia's definition is a little harsh and not really what I'm trying to convey either … This blog is where I got the term from, and is much more elegant in it's explanation:

It usually happens when someone, feeling that the current system is not good enough, believes that it is would be easier to abandon the current code base and give it a fresh start

The result of this pursuit is that it [takes] years before [the developers have] a new [software] with the expected functionality


Hey thanks! I'm glad you like my new picture, it's me doing what I love doing outdoors (skateboarding).

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wdavatar?user=leiger
leiger

08 Sep 2012 16:22. Edited 0 times. (Edit, Permalink)
Thanks for the link James, it is an interesting read.

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(user deleted)

08 Sep 2012 19:22. Edited 0 times. (Edit, Permalink)
The new features look awesome, Shane. Being able to load a whole site at once and easily navigate categories and pages will be really useful.

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wdavatar?user=robelliott
RobElliott

08 Sep 2012 19:35. Edited 0 times. (Edit, Permalink)
Yes that screenshot of the whole site looks really interesting. Looking forward to it.

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wdavatar?user=leiger
leiger

09 Sep 2012 01:26. Edited 0 times. (Edit, Permalink)
Hey Ed and Rob:

I find that it is extremely useful for getting an overview of a site.

You can grasp the structure of a Wikidot site by being able to see everything at once, then drill down into certain categories and pages that look interesting and see how everything works together.

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