View source for Talk:Addin Usability Guidelines

Hi, wasn't sure if you wanted the little thing about having a loading bar for larger addins on here. If you guys think it is important enought to put on the page, I'll leave it to you to do it ;-) [[User:Flyingfish|Flyingfish]] ([[User talk:Flyingfish|talk]]) 16:16, 25 June 2012 (EDT)

== RE: Loading bar ==

Do you mean when the addin initially opens? I don't think that a loading bar can be done as the adding doesn't get execution afaik. Otherwise, a loading bar can be done, the os gives you a progress bar function :-P 

[[User:Ahelper|Ahelper]] ([[User talk:Ahelper|talk]]) 12:43, 26 June 2012 (EDT)

:I think maybe i am not understanding this correctly. I was of the opinion that start-up time was relative to how much stuff is done before the screen was refreshed (assigning variables, etc.) 

:Are you saying that it has to do with how large the file is, and that the initial startup speed cannot be reduced without changing the file size? [[User:Flyingfish|Flyingfish]] ([[User talk:Flyingfish|talk]]) 18:52, 26 June 2012 (EDT)

::Not completely sure, but from all of my addins, the startup of an addin is not handled.

::[[User:Ahelper|Ahelper]] ([[User talk:Ahelper|talk]]) 10:53, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

:::The issue is just for Doom, where it gets control and loads a level without displaying anything. He wants Doom to display a progress bar while it loads the WAD after it gets control. In the finished game, there will probably be a main menu anyway, so it's not really an issue. [[User:KermMartian|KermMartian]] ([[User talk:KermMartian|talk]]) 10:55, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

::::Kerm: It's not just for Doom. It's for potentially any addin that does a bunch of stuff before refreshing the screen. [[User:Flyingfish|Flyingfish]] ([[User talk:Flyingfish|talk]]) 10:57, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

::::: Fine, but I think that the solution should in general be to refresh the screen with a splashscreen, a main menu, or something, ''then'' maybe do a progress bar during loading. Basically, I think the design flaw is "not changing the screen to be something other than the main menu" rather than "not adding a progress bar". [[User:KermMartian|KermMartian]] ([[User talk:KermMartian|talk]]) 11:03, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

::::::Indents are fun!  Anyways, look at the Periodic Table (Physium? Whatever Casio made). That thing is huge! And it takes a bit to load from what I remember.  Sure, show some sort of progress bar or message if you are loading when your addin is running, but I don't think that there is a nice way to handle plain large addins

::::::Also, KermM, why did you sign as FlyingFish? (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> autocompletes to these signatures)

::::::[[User:Ahelper|Ahelper]] ([[User talk:Ahelper|talk]]) 11:06, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

:::::::Kerm: Yeah, now that you mention it, that's what i meant. Just something to let the user know his calc hasn't frozen. [[User:Flyingfish|Flyingfish]] ([[User talk:Flyingfish|talk]]) 11:14, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

:::::: Clearing the screen at some point in early startup (before settings up .bss and .data, for example) is feasible, but I don't know how much that contributes to startup time.  Probably only a little. [[User:Tari|Tari]] ([[User talk:Tari|talk]]) 11:17, 27 June 2012 (EDT)

== Overclocking ==

Ok, this '''needs''' to be touched on here.  I personally don't like the idea of addins mucking up the CPG and ''not warning me'' or ''not reverting changes''.  Sure, I don't have a problem with addins being made to use the CPG, but it should be noted that not all users want their cpu running at ludacris speed.  I think that the best way would be to :
# Show a quick message when the addin starts, at least, says that it will/is overclocking.
# Handle the [MENU] button so that the CPG is reverted to the state it was originally at.

Also, maybe note that programs should strive to not rely on overclocking to run fast.  Addins can be made so that downclocking is ok for them and some that do graphics work just fine without any CPG changes.

[[User:Ahelper|Ahelper]] ([[User talk:Ahelper|talk]]) 11:01, 27 June 2012 (EDT)