Here's a question for us to discuss -- what kind of program would be the=
ultimate teaching example for Zoolib? We instructional designers call that=
an "exemplar" -- an example that captures the essence of what's being=
taught.
For example, when I rewrote Macintosh Programming Fundamentals for Apple, I=
used a stripped down drawing application similar to MacDraw. Everybody was=
asking "how do I update the screen, do scrolling, print, etc." and the=
documentation didn't give a good example as it used the built in TextEdit=
package that hid the mechanics of how to do all these things. But, as=
another developer observed later, "every Macintosh application is, at=
heart, a degenerate drawing application" so we had hit on the right=
exemplar for the course.
Since GUI programming is relatively common knowledge, as is the=
model-view-controller approach, we wouldn't need to use the same example=
today (and especially not with Zoolib.) I believe a Zoolib exemplar would=
have a multi-part layout (probably different views of the same data), use=
the internal database and/or networking, and have good reason to use=
multiple threads. As a teaching tool, it should have fairly trivial=
algorithms so we can focus on the UI. It should not depend entirely on any=
"major" UI modules built in (e.g. the NPainter framework), as that doesn't=
help people learn how to do the basics. And, ultimately, it should be a=
simple version of a reasonably familiar application so we don't have much=
of a learning curve for the app itself.
I was thinking of a "contact manager" program -- one of those tools that=
sales professionals use that combines an address book with reminders to=
make contact (and provides a place to store notes.) That calls for a=
multi-part layout -- a list of addresses, a selected address' details, and=
notes on those calls. It's a natural for the database, and could be=
extended to use a local "customer info" server. I could even see a use for=
threads (as you type in a name, the DB lookup happens concurrently on a=
thread.)
But, this is a first thought and I'm open to suggestions. What do _you_=
think?
...Richard
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