[MacLoggerContest] Re: MacLoggerDX tab order

[Don Agro]

Hi Jonathan,

On 3-Aug-05, at 3:33 AM, Jonathan G0DVJ wrote:

> On Aug 3, 2005, at 2:18 am, Don Agro wrote:
>
>> With a little extra work we now only need one tab - but as I have  
>> found out to my dismay time and time again - what pleases one  
>> contester pleases no other.
>
> OK I am correcting an error this time!    What pleased one  
> contester pleased many others including me!
> If this is aimed at me then I never said I wasn't pleased - nor  
> implied that your effort to help us awful bunch of contesters at  
> every step was anything but appreciated.  It may be surprising but  
> I am a dx-er sometimes and a contester at other times.  I am sure I  
> am not the only one - contesters are not some separate species -  
> nor do I or many other customers warrant such a generalisation.   
> The enhancements you make to MLDX are great on both counts.  Thanks  
> for all of them, both those which help with Dx-ing and those which  
> assist contesting, or in many cases both.
>
> Apologies for the bandwidth folks - <end of thread (at least from  
> me)> - I prefer to get on with trying to suggest ways to make this  
> software an even more insanely great logging program.

I hope your sarcasm "awful bunch of contesters" was intended to be  
humorous :)

There are a lot of conflicting opinions and requests coming through  
this reflector - you know yourself since you tried unsuccessfully to  
get a consensus on a number of issues here, and your help in this  
regard was/is appreciated.

Please don't apologize for the bandwidth Jonathan or discontinue your  
comments - this thread is obviously about an important issue since it  
comes up time and time again, and I for one would like to 'get it  
right' this time.

According to the subject line it is about Tab Order in MLDX and how  
to optimize it for contesting without negative impact to other users.  
We have also been discussing Function Key/AppleScript customization  
of MLDX data entry.

You rejected the function key solution presented because you thought  
it wouldn't work on a powerbook and proceeded to offer your analysis  
of several contests and your view of tab-order and new fields  
requirements.

This is useful analysis but takes us back to first principles and  
implies that we might need more fields.

This implication was rebutted by Scott Andersen who has suggested  
that the fields are more than sufficient as they stand...

On 2-Aug-05, at 2:22 PM, Scott Andersen wrote:

> The Cab-Converter program has documentation for each contest (or,  
> at least
> _will_ have documentation for each contest) describing what  
> information
> from the exchange needs to be captured and where it should be put.  
> I think
> you'll see that in the first few contests I've documented in the  
> current
> bundle.
>
> While I could always brain-storm more ways MLDX could somehow help
> with this, isn't it true that the current fields, along with a
> healthy Cab-converter, are sufficient? (It has been for me...)

I value your input and am requesting that you give us your views on  
the solutions being discussed/developed rather than returning to  
first principles.

If there is something about the Function Key/AppleScript solutions  
being offered that bothers you, please let us know what it is. I like  
the direction of this solution because it enables users with  
specialized requirements to customize the software and I just plain  
like the smell of that without having thought through all the  
implications.

I am also finding out from those who are writing the scripts that  
there are bugs that need fixing and enhancements required in the  
scripting functions in MLDX but this is worthwhile work and will pay  
dividends.

Somewhere along the line the assumption was made (and I agree) that  
short of developing a UI designer for MLDX, some re-arrangement of  
the fields and use of AppleScript/Function Keys could benefit  
contesters without harming non-contest use.

Where we stand with 4.1.1b25 is that this somewhat optimized sequence  
(without using AppleScript or Function Keys) is now possible where it  
wasn't before...

<http://www.dogparksoftware.com/MacLoggerDX/Manual/Pages/ 
controlwindow.html>

Fast Keyboard Logging for Contesters:

    1. Enter call.
    2. Hit return (this does a lookup).
    3. One <tab> takes you to SRX numeric. STX auto-increments (set  
in Prefs Panel)
    4. Hit <shift><command> L this logs the call and highlights call  
text.
    5. <command> K clears all the fields and repositions the cursor  
to the Call Sign field. - Ready for 1 again.

     * Power, RST Sent, and RST Received fields are remembered across  
sessions and not cleared since they are hand entered and not found in  
a look up.

The reason that I am doggedly sticking to this thread is simply that  
I would like to get this nailed down for release in v4.1.1 since UI  
changes to the main screen affect the whole manual.

Thanks for your help on this Jonathan.


73 Don Agro VE3VRW

D o g   P a r k   S o f t w a r e   L t d .

email: dagro at dogparksoftware.com
   www: http://www.dogparksoftware.com
     iChat AV:dogpark at mac.com