Programming forums

[Roland]

That makes me think of what it would look like if the forum would be divided the way the wiki is. It would definitely be easier to link the two, which is a tempting idea. And Roland, what you say makes sense. But then you have topics which either don't apply or apply to more than one topic. I remember somewhere that someone was trying to get smoke (particles) to look correct in front of water (which I think Leadwerks 2 can't do). Which forum would that go in?

 

...funny thing just now. I was going to try to find that thread to read it and link to it. And I stopped. Where was it? The programming forum or one of the languages? So I'll try all 5...

Yes, a task driven system would not cover all situations of course (like the one you describes), but I would guess it would catch most of the questions. Did that person try to search for "Smoke On The Water". ... naah... just joking

[Pixel Perfect]

I remember somewhere that someone was trying to get smoke (particles) to look correct in front of water (which I think Leadwerks 2 can't do). Which forum would that go in?

 

...funny thing just now. I was going to try to find that thread to read it and link to it. And I stopped. Where was it? The programming forum or one of the languages? So I'll try all 5...

 

Edit: Lol. Searching for smoke water on all 5 forums results in nothing. Oh well.

The link is Heat haze and water and the interesting thing is that no combination of water, heat and or haze returns this link using the search facility. This makes searching for items without placing them in containers more of a challenge.

 

I do like Roland's suggestions for a more practical form of grouping, that makes a lot of sence. Anything not falling into those containers could go into a Miscellaneous one.

[gamecreator]

Thanks! The entire thread doesn't mention smoke in it and it's also in the General Forum, so my fault. But as you said, the search engine can't find combinations of words (unless they're next to each other, like "heat haze" (with the quotes)). It won't, under any circumstance, find that thread using both haze and water in the search (I also tried using + and AND).

[Mumbles]

Oh for ***** sake hah. So you actually AGREE with Josh that the forums would do well to merge, you just want it to be done properly. You could have just said that.

 

So it's true ... the bleep machine really does stop working at 9:30 . The whole forum is going to descend into anarchy now

[Naughty Alien]

..i smell an ambush..

[Josh]

The reason I don't read all the posts in "View New Posts" is because it contains lots of various topics, and the ones that need my attention mostly are programming topics. It's easier if I can see one forum and view which topics I haven't read yet, instead of having several pages of all activity in the last few days.

 

Locked/protected forums are not good idea in my opinion..it is nice to see how a live are product specific forums, from perspective of new user..just a tip..

The protected forums is one of the best decision I have made. Before that, it was chaos.

 

By default, the search in the site header searches as though your query was in quotes. That sucks, and I will try to fix it.

 

By the way - I completely agree regarding the programming tutorials / articles / documentation. Its all hidden under these menus under sub-menus within pages indexes. Its crazy. Its all made worse by the fact that the search functionality is actually really quite bad. Why can't I just search in every area of the website instead of picking specific types? This website is nice looking and all, but some of the core functionality is really out of whack.

IPB has a ton of features, but I sometimes wonder if the people who implement them even use internet forums. IPB 3.2 is supposed to have some better search functionality, and we have a copy of Werkspace using that version we are working on. It's been duplicated so we can test it without disturbing the real forum.

 

I just look at tutorials and i noticed that thread about 'First Steps' is actually second from bottom of the page .. i mean.. 'First Steps' maaannn ..

So you are saying community tutorials should not be allowed?

 

Then look at asset store now (im checking that because of my lil lib, if someone ask something so i can quickly respond)..before, I could just go over Asset Store, pop up menu appear, and i just click on to tools and im there...now..I click on asset store, then whole parade of options came and again I have to click on left side on to tools to get what I want..hows that efficient, I dont know, but ok

There are too many categories to list, and having multiple levels of hierarchy was causing problems.

[Scott Richmond]

On tutorials:

Its current state is an unorganized list. The only way you can browse it is linearly or search. Search is horribly broken. Did you know that one of the main reasons I originally bought LE2 was because of how awesome the LE2 Wiki was? I still to this day do not know why that area has been officially abandoned, especially to be replaced with an article list. Its still far and away the best documentation available despite how outdated it is.

EDIT: Just took another look at the Programming tutorials - There are random german articles, as well as duplicate article titles (rendering lights, #2 rendering lights). What a mess. Its clear this system can't support the needs of the community and won't scale.

 

One search:

This needs to be fixed. Its such a universally core tool that its almost a crime to have a broken implementation.

[macklebee]

On tutorials:

Its current state is an unorganized list. The only way you can browse it is linearly or search. Search is horribly broken. Did you know that one of the main reasons I originally bought LE2 was because of how awesome the LE2 Wiki was? I still to this day do not know why that area has been officially abandoned, especially to be replaced with an article list. Its still far and away the best documentation available despite how outdated it is.

EDIT: Just took another look at the Programming tutorials - There are random german articles, as well as duplicate article titles (rendering lights, #2 rendering lights). What a mess. Its clear this system can't support the needs of the community and won't scale.

 

thats what i have pointed out since the very first page of this topic. the community programming tutorial subforums have been removed and everything was put into one list... so its a complete clusterfark of unorganized tuts just thrown together using various languages... how this is supposed to be better i have no idea...

[Josh]

In the next version of IPB, it searches the appropriate database when you are on a page. You can search the database right now, but you have to open the full search, click on "website", then select the articles database.

[macklebee]

The people that would use those tuts for the most part would be new to LE and in most cases new to programming... having them jump through hoops to find a beginner's tut in their programming language of choice seems pointless. The programming language subforums made the most sense - but for whatever reason you are removing those... so i would suggest for you to at least put the language in the title of the tut so they can find what they want easier...

[Scott Richmond]

In the next version of IPB, it searches the appropriate database when you are on a page. You can search the database right now, but you have to open the full search, click on "website", then select the articles database.

You know I think the best option would be to by default search all databases, optionally narrowing it down. Because lets be honest, many people don't use search in the first place and to ask a noob LE dev to search and click through various databases (Community articles, engine documentation, forum, etc) is a tall order.

[Naughty Alien]

So you are saying community tutorials should not be allowed?

 

..im saying that 'First Steps' should be on the top, not almost last on the page..but if that makes sense for ya, then keep it up..im sure that people whos actually looking for first steps help, will find it rather messy like that..

[Wchris]

Just my grain of salt to illustrate my own old request of having a dedicated delphi/pascal forum.

There was a pascal forum once upon a time but it got dropped because I believe of too few activity.

But if you look at #2 the reason why it wah dropped was exactly the reason why I wanted it to stay !

So it's just a question of relative position of the viewer. Forum manager vs user.

 

example ;

 

I'm in holiday since this weedend (and my wife is not so I'm free to werk) ... and I made huge progress in my Delphi for Leadwerks component pack.

 

If I want to post it where do I post it ? there's no location for me ! no global programing forum and no Pascal specific one !

 

from my point of view having a specific pascal forum is good for 2 reasons

#1 being visible to same language users when posting

#2 attract more skilled then me pascal programmers and incite them to settle there. (I'm not so skilled)

 

from Josh's point of view it's good because

#A it will attract pascal programmers that would shy away if they see there is only forums for other languages

 

Of course you have 2 points against this, but none of them is unsolvable

#B Already too many forums why add 1 more ? Hey ! that's easy to fix ! Make a programming forum where all the sub-languages forum topics appear merged and no topic can be started, only answers.

#C Pascal is not supported. Hey ! it's easy again to make a top pinned topic static that the pascal language is not officially supported and no answer will be provided by leadwerks there; but made available to help people to meet and collaborate.

 

But of course, as a minority I have few hope to see things change just for me. I have only one voice and those whose language is most popular will have the most voices and will win the poll. it's not their fault, it's just logic.

 

PS: I'm not opposed to a "per task" forum, but in this per task forum the leading language will impose itself. It will become a C++ forum, it's not their fault, it's pure logic, they are many, they will overwhelm the little. Josh knows this and doesn't want lua to be stepped down (we all have our favorite ^^)

[Rick]

no global programing forum

 

There is actually

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/forum/6-programming/

[Wchris]

There is actually

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/forum/6-programming/

Oups ! I missed the lift

But I posted in showcase I'm more visible there. In a global programming forum posts with low audience get buried.

[Rick]

That's what View New Content is for. I think that link needs to have bells and whistles around with with giant signs saying "Us me"

[Josh]

That's what View New Content is for. I think that link needs to have bells and whistles around with with giant signs saying "Us me"

It's only useful if you are consistently checking for new content every 24 hours or so, or else you will be reading through multiple pages of content.

[Rick]

It's only useful if you are consistently checking for new content every 24 hours or so, or else you will be reading through multiple pages of content.

 

I don't understand. Right now it's showing 2 items. This one and "Callback/Variable Interaction?". I check pretty much every day many times a day. If at some point I don't check it for a weekend or whatever I like the fact that it shows me everything I missed (multiple pages possibly) since I missed them I want to see what I missed in case I can respond.

 

I noticed sometimes it actually doesn't show EVERYTHING I missed. I would prefer it show everything I haven't read yet from every forum and when I have read it keep those for maybe a day or 2 on the list.

 

Why would anyone want to miss new topics? You might be able to help with them. If you can't help and don't want it to show up just enter the topic so it's marked as read then go back out. Would be better if there was a "mark as read" feature but just going into the thread is a workaround.

[Scott Richmond]

I didn't even know people posted in the global Programming container. Another reason to dump it all and go for 1 programming forum.

[macklebee]

huh? a reason to dump subforums is because you are unaware of the general programming forum? makes about as much sense as someone complaining that having to click on multiple forums or 'View New Content' is too much hassle... but whatever... still waiting to hear one viable reason why everything should be in one forum... just one. but why stop there? alot of people have screwed up and posted into the LE3 forum boards to ask questions about LE2... so why not just put everything into one forum board? why not put posts about artwork, 3dws, LE2, LE3, etc... all into one forum board called Miscellaneous? Then there would be only one board on this whole forum and people wouldn't be hassled to have to search multiple forums and no one would be unaware of a forum board or confused which one to post in!

[Josh]

Just my grain of salt to illustrate my own old request of having a dedicated delphi/pascal forum.

There was a pascal forum once upon a time but it got dropped because I believe of too few activity.

But if you look at #2 the reason why it wah dropped was exactly the reason why I wanted it to stay !

So it's just a question of relative position of the viewer. Forum manager vs user.

That's something else I don't like. I have to continuously decide which languages warrant a separate subforum, and people form camps and start holy wars over it. I have declared repeatedly that all programming languages are terrible, so I don't understand what the fuss is about.

[Naughty Alien]

..dear Josh, you should let each programming language forum to grow on itself together with whole community..it will be no confusion and everybody will be happy..whats wrong with that ?

[Scott Richmond]

*sigh* Look, this is how its going to go down so we can all shut the door on this and STOP PROCRASTINATING AND WORK ON OUR PROJECTS! YES YOU!

 

1. Collapse all programming forums into a single forum.

2. Implement vBulletin Thread Prefixes.

...prefix can be used to filter threads within the forum or searched on.

 

Its a miracle!

Everyone Wins!

 

Can we all go back to work now?

[macklebee]

its a moot issue. Josh will do what Josh wants with the forum no matter what people here suggest.

[macklebee]

That's something else I don't like. I have to continuously decide which languages warrant a separate subforum, and people form camps and start holy wars over it. I have declared repeatedly that all programming languages are terrible, so I don't understand what the fuss is about.

 

thats understandable viewpoint concerning subforums... the first valid point i have seen posted... but no matter what you do people are still going to request to see code in a particular language... people are posting questions like that now even with language subforums...

 

but as far as people starting holy wars about languages, there is only one specific group (not all of them though) that does that and usually its a specific person that starts it everytime...