Bridging the Great Divide
My definition of the Killer App includes simplified GUI's & 'non PG' features. One item I'd like is to be able to 'Draw' within my own Schema.
- I should be able to Save my Drawing. - I should be able to Export my drawing as real xml.- People should be able to import the xml into their own schema and get the original drawing.- I should be able to create a pdf of my drawing.- I should be able to integrate data within my drawing.- A 'dunce' should be able to use it. I qualify.
I received a 35 in 7th grade Art, an all time, record low for my school. The Vice Principal & Art Teacher agreed that I had achieved my maximum potential and passed me on to 8th Grade. I fulfill all dunce criteria for this feature.
- I should be able to Save my Drawing. - I should be able to Export my drawing as real xml.- People should be able to import the xml into their own schema and get the original drawing.- I should be able to create a pdf of my drawing.- I should be able to integrate data within my drawing.- A 'dunce' should be able to use it. I qualify.
I received a 35 in 7th grade Art, an all time, record low for my school. The Vice Principal & Art Teacher agreed that I had achieved my maximum potential and passed me on to 8th Grade. I fulfill all dunce criteria for this feature.
A Simple Drawing Test
Let's see if I can draw this guy (+ -). Originally done in Illustrator and saved as several sizes of PNG. Illustrator is great, but expensive and definitely overkill for this particular artist.Besides, I want it to work with PG.
We needed to Adapt a 'Tool' ...
... and we chose the one that most of you probably love to hate. Yes, the FlashPlayer. We started with the original Actionscript, moved on to AS2 a few years ago. Now we're working on an enhanced version with AS3. The one described below is the old AS2 implementation.
With some serious programming efforts, the FlashPlayer will play quite nicely with xml and PostgreSQL.
With some serious programming efforts, the FlashPlayer will play quite nicely with xml and PostgreSQL.
All of us sit on both sides of the Great Divide. It just depends on the task.
Step 1
I logged into my Account (schema) and clicked a button to Create a New Template, Named it and added a Description. Basic PG INSERT stuff.I then clicked, "Load Template" (not PG terminology).FlashPlayer opens in a new Browser Tab and loads all of the Tools & Properties, along with a blank "Whiteboard". This process takes about 25 seconds.
The initial Whiteboard is a Part (Body). Other parts (Headers, Footers) can be added and resized as desired.
The pic below shows a bezier being drawn. Each Anchor point automatically gets 2 Control points.
The initial Whiteboard is a Part (Body). Other parts (Headers, Footers) can be added and resized as desired.
The pic below shows a bezier being drawn. Each Anchor point automatically gets 2 Control points.
Step 2
I am neither smart nor talented, but never let it be said that I'm not persistent.
I ended up cheating by adding the elephant png to the Canvas, changing its Alpha (transparency) and tracing over the top of it. It took me 12 separate beziers. My wife probably could have done it in 5, but refused to participate, even though I told her it was a really important Science project. She replied with something in Russian:Ужас!
I fiddled with the colors for awhile and then decided to add some text.
I ended up cheating by adding the elephant png to the Canvas, changing its Alpha (transparency) and tracing over the top of it. It took me 12 separate beziers. My wife probably could have done it in 5, but refused to participate, even though I told her it was a really important Science project. She replied with something in Russian:Ужас!
I fiddled with the colors for awhile and then decided to add some text.
Step 3
I typed some text, resized to a totally unreadable size of 1, reduced the size of the text block by dragging a corner selector, then moved it into the right eye of the elephant.
At that point, I could have simply changed the font color to white -- or -- used the Arrange Objects tool to send the layer behind a filled bezier. Either of those choices would have led you to wonder "where is it?" and have one additional, non-reason to hate Flash, so I left it visible within the Elephant's eye.
At that point, I could have simply changed the font color to white -- or -- used the Arrange Objects tool to send the layer behind a filled bezier. Either of those choices would have led you to wonder "where is it?" and have one additional, non-reason to hate Flash, so I left it visible within the Elephant's eye.
Step 4
By this time, I had already Saved several times and gave it a final one, which of course was an UPDATE. About 36 k of xml.
Note the image below is zoomed, using the zoom tool.
I'm a PHB. I came up with that technical, Tool term.
Note the image below is zoomed, using the zoom tool.
I'm a PHB. I came up with that technical, Tool term.
Step 5
I spooled a pdf (we use Pdflib 7.02) and also exported the xml to my desktop. The zipped xml is below.
A snippet of the xml is displayed beneath. PG 8.3 with its xml datatype should add many possibilities for future development. Thus far, we've been using the ActionScript programmed FlashPlayer to generate the initial xml of drawn objects or to load stored xml, while PG generates any row level data pulled from a bound datasource. Next year, we'll also be able to reverse the object creation portion of the process and start with PG, using it to generate the object xml and load the Player, which will then 'redraw' while still incorporating the data. Short vsn: dynamic redraw.
Step 6
The above would be very difficult without PG and yes, we have trekked unsuccessfuly down the MySQL path.
I prepared 3 demos, each with a 'live' FlashPlayer demo, xml output & accompanying pdf output.
Look to your right for more.... and remember it's OK to try the demo. It's a Science project.
I prepared 3 demos, each with a 'live' FlashPlayer demo, xml output & accompanying pdf output.
Look to your right for more.... and remember it's OK to try the demo. It's a Science project.
The linked page below will have:
Instructions for all, +xml ouput for the elephanta generated pdf of the elephanta 'whiteboard demo' of the elephant
xml ouput for a simple data reporta generated pdf of the reporta 'whiteboard demo' of the report
xml ouput for a simple personalized marketing piecea generated pdf of the marketing piecea 'whiteboard demo' of the marketing piece
xml ouput for a simple data reporta generated pdf of the reporta 'whiteboard demo' of the report
xml ouput for a simple personalized marketing piecea generated pdf of the marketing piecea 'whiteboard demo' of the marketing piece
LINK to all files, demo, instructions.
I rarely allow my lack of personal knowledge or flimsy research to squelch my opinions, which I then pass off as fact:
The Exact Scale of Knowledge (exact Graph #1)
You are here(Expert)
The Exact Count of people, by category(exact Graph #2)
My category
Your Category
Everyone's definition of the 'Killer App' varies. However, the extraordinarily well-researched evidence above is irrefutable and the conclusion obvious; an application that is built on PG and addresses a variety of the needs of My Category could allow generalists to build their own 'Killer Application'. If true, generalists will need you guys more than ever, because there'll be more of us using PG, needing help with the more complex issues.
Even if you are in total disagreement, keep reading & you'll see a usage example of PG that is off the beaten path.
Even if you are in total disagreement, keep reading & you'll see a usage example of PG that is off the beaten path.
This webpage was also prepared using a variant of the GUI described above, but I'll leave that + other Generalist stuff for future installments.
We do not store FlashPlayer, Local Shared Objects
I believe that the prominent PG user, Etsy.com has also integrated FlashPlayer with PG, as FP is sprinkled thoroughout their site. One of their pages uses (I believe) the AS BitmapData class, described at: (http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/image_api05.html)and possibly implemented on Etsy as a product, color selection tool at:
etsy.com/color
Pure speculation. I've never had contact with Etsy, other than the fact that my wife is one of the growing army of dedicated craft sellers at Etsy.
Every day she checks to see if someone has 'Hearted' her 'Etsy site', another example of PG + Flash.
Every day she checks to see if someone has 'Hearted' her 'Etsy site', another example of PG + Flash.
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An example: 16 Traditional Christmas Carols that was set up using the above tool for creation of a pdf. 8.5 x 11", duplexed, centerfolded and stitiched. Sent as a Christmas Card to customers & friends.
Another PG + FlashPlayer implementation
'Hearts' her
I am here(generalist)
PostgreSQL & Flash can be used to Bridge the Great Divide.
The Divide that separates: - programmers & 'normal folk' - expensive, multiple 'seat' software & fair pricing. - customers and vendors. - data and useful information. - Application 1 ... Application 2
Search the archives at Postgres for 'FlashPlayer', 'Flash' or 'Actionscript' and you will find the results to be negligible. At the same time, the most popular techdocs page is: "A Guide to GUI Tools Supporting PostgreSQL". Keep reading.
The Divide that separates: - programmers & 'normal folk' - expensive, multiple 'seat' software & fair pricing. - customers and vendors. - data and useful information. - Application 1 ... Application 2
Search the archives at Postgres for 'FlashPlayer', 'Flash' or 'Actionscript' and you will find the results to be negligible. At the same time, the most popular techdocs page is: "A Guide to GUI Tools Supporting PostgreSQL". Keep reading.