Standard GUI for scripts

cobalt wrote on 4/9/2003, 4:03 PM
Standard GUI for scripts

Here is a thought. I'm NOT a programmer so don't ask me to design this. It seems that many scripts need some type of variable input. It also appears that you need to go into the scripts themselves to change these variables. Also when you are inside these files you are all of a sudden in what feels like a mine field (to the non-coder this is a real feeling).

What about using/designing some code that brings up a window which neatly lists the variables being used, the values of those variables. Brief help snippets from within the code could also come up.

for example... the "segments" script contains these two lines. To me they sortof make sense, and I'm sure after trying 3 or 5 different versions of what I think they should be set for, the script would work.

Instead a neat little pop up window could appear... and no one would have to go in and modify javascripts.

instead of this...
var defaultBasePath = "v:\\renders\\";
var renderLength = new Timecode(4000 * 60); // 4 minutes???

have this...
path that exists to where you want the renders to go
example: d:\project\finalrender
Max length of rendered segments HH:MM:SS:FF
Max size of rendered segments Mbytes
which ever of the above is reached first will cause a new segment to be started

Maybe this is something that SonicFoundry would need to do.

Comments

jetdv wrote on 4/9/2003, 4:29 PM
Actually, it is already doable. However, for most small "quickie" scripts (which this on was) people often do not take the time or trouble to create the front-end GUI. The time code would be fairly easy. The file path is more complicated.
murk wrote on 4/13/2003, 5:05 PM
I would do it, if I was getting paid to do so. It is a very timely process to do what you ask, valuable only to end users, not scripters or programmers. Therefore editors and end users should be willing to shell out some cash or exchange services. It is kinda like me asking an editor to edit my 2 hour long documentary, compress it to 5 different formats and burn them all to DVD then mail them to me, all for free.

I mean I am all down for open and free exchange of scripts, but when you start delving into GUI design for end users, things start getting stickier. There will always be people that provide killer apps/scripts for free, but that is usually the exception, not the rule.