What Language

Tony,

how come you keep so much "obsolete" code on your web site?
A lot of users continue to use the Express Tools LMan tool just because they have saved layer state LAY files (I know it's the not the most intelligent reason to use it rather than the one merged into the Acad Layers dialog box, but it's true).
Another example I gave was SuperHatch. As far as I know, that capability still does not exist in the BHatch command.

The last time Autodesk tried to remove the Express Tools, they suffered an immediate and gigantic backlash.

Along the lines of many previous posts on this subjects, capabilities such as grread are possible in Lisp, but not VBA. Also, any language with a command line interpreter is going to allow for faster code development than writing in C.

I'll try to respeak my point, and to use very small words so you'll be sure to understand: When Autodesk ports Express Tools into the core engine, without the need to use AutoLISP, one may begin to get worried that the end of support of AutoLISP is near. But as long as Autodesk continues to ship Express Tools, requiring AutoLISP, it will continue to be a supported environment. AutoLISP continues to be an excellent development environment for drafting tools.

and one quick sidenote: are you actually implying that any language/code that was used 5 years ago is obsolete and must go? Do you have a vague idea how much of AutoCAD's "core" code is in such a state? Do you think they rewrite the entire program in a new language every two years? Just because code was written 5 years ago on a language invented over 30 years ago means nothing as to the viability or longevity of it.

awaiting your typically cocky, cruel, and baseless reply,

--Jeremiah

 

thanks for the well-written reply.
I don't see any reason why they can't continue to support both AutoLISP and VBA indefinitely. Any other possibility just sounds too close to the rumors that Microsoft is going to charge $0.25 for each email.
While it may be true that Express Tools are not "new," all the functionality of them has *still* not been pulled into base AutoCAD (the Express Layers toolbar being the most-used example).
Although I wouldn't put it past Autodesk to try to remove AutoLisp, I'm sure it's not going to happen, for many of the reasons you cite.

--Jeremiah

 

Tony,

In your opinion, should we have the same worry towards VBA as LISP then?
Languages like C++ or .NET do not come free with AutoCAD and I'm under the
impression that most managers would not be willing to pay for it, at least
not before they see what can be achieved, let alone the fact someone has to
invest a lot of time to learn the new language(s).

I can hardly picture lisp being totally dropped in near future. We have tens
of thousands of code written in lisp. And I'm guessing we're not the only
ones. To translate these codes from LISP to VBA is going to be a huge task
and some of them probably won't be able to get translated. Plus in some
people's opinion, VBA is not an ideal language either.

Thanks.

 

<<I don't see any reason why they can't continue to support both AutoLISP and VBA indefinitely.>>

Other than cost neither do I, but then again, with the advent of VLISP functionality and VBA, I see little reason to continue them either.


<<While it may be true that Express Tools are not "new," all the functionality of them has *still* not been pulled into base AutoCAD (the Express Layers toolbar being the most-used example). >>

The express tool layer functionality was incorporated into the core program with R2000i (I guess, according to your earlier post, you need to start worrying.)

BTW, We've discontinued the use of layer states and layer filters until the file size bloat is addressed.

 

Please immediately stop the personal pointed remarks. This is a
professional level forum for information exchange and will be
treated as such. Future messages that contain such language will
be removed with no notice. Hopefully the people you are poking
sharp sticks at will ignore the barb.

 

"Kelie Feng" wrote

It depends on what you're doing, and what you expect you may
need to do in the future.

As far as VBA goes, that depends on whether Autodesk adopts VSA
(Visual Studio for Applications) and replaces VBA with VSA, which
brings .NET into the picture. There are also third party development
environments that are free, and are capable of generating intermediate
language (the language that VB.NET and all other .NET langauges
compile down to), so you can do .NET programming for free, but with
a less capable development environment.

No, it is not going to be 'dropped' (e.g., removed from the product), for
the simple reason that there is and will continue to be a massive
dependence on it, for quite some time to come.

What you should not expect, is to see LISP enhanced to support
modern technologies and APIs (like .NET). And, many of the enhancments
that Autodesk is making to API functionality is strictly ObjectARX based,
and through the managed wrappers for it, extended to .NET.

 

Do you see Autodesk using DCL for dialog boxes any longer?

How about 'Object Grouping' Dialog Box.?

Shoukat.

 

Which came along in R14, May 1997.

Terry

 

The express tool layer functionality was incorporated into the core program with R2000i

you guys keep mentioning this to me.
I'm sorry, is there something I'm missing? Whenever I install AutoCAD, the first thing I do is to install Express Tools, as I absolutely depend upon the Express Layers toolbar. Where has this functionality been incorporated into the core?

--Jeremiah

 

Some of the items that were previously in Express are now in the core of Autocad; example: Cookie Cutter is not extrim (core). Don't ask why - only the gods know. Personally, I preferred Cookie Cutter so I added this title to my express tools
pulldown menu and when I pick it, it executs extrim.

 

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