bzr-Explorer could be a better learning tool.

[Algis Kabaila]

On Thursday 05 November 2009 19:20:09 Ben Finney wrote:
> Algis Kabaila <akabaila at pcug.org.au> writes:
> > I would think that it would not be too difficult to add one icon on
> > the tool bar, called perhaps "debug" that would toggle a small
> > panel/window that would show the bzr command being executed (including
> > the switches).
>
> I would suggest not calling it “debug”, which implies it's only for use
> when things go wrong.
>
> Perhaps “show details” / “hide details” is a better name for that
> feature.
>
> > It would not stand in the way of normal operation and give an option
> > to use the bzr- Explorer as a learning tool.
>
> This is a good idea.
>
Thank you for your support.

> The execrable AIX operating system aged me prematurely and wasted much
> of my time at a job I'd prefer to forget, but it had one redeeming
> feature: a menu-driven system administration tool, called SMIT, that
> allowed you to see the full command-line session that resulted from each
> of your choices.
>
> Importantly, this option to see the command-line session was *on by
> default* (at least, the version I used was so), which means even if you
> didn't know about it beforehand you could benefit from it.
>
> It was my first glimpse into the powerful Unix command-line, showing
> quite directly the connection between the user's high-level tasks and
> the flexible low-level, scriptable commands that can be used to
> implement them; and as you say this can be a very helpful learning tool.

Intesting experience.  I also recall in the days of "inventing" GUI that a 
programmer acquintance Peter G. who was deep into Linux (I was on MS Win) how 
did GUI work with FTP?  It indeed did what I would love to see bzr-Explorer 
doing - it displayed the commands.  He was so impressed that he promptly 
walked over to our place and so it "live".  Deep Aaah  - the same thing he has 
been using in CLI!  (Linux could still be carried in a case full of floppies 
and Peter G. showed me X-windows.  It could not do much more than show a 
window with a cursor on it...).

Thanks for sharing,

OldAl. 
-- 
Algis Kabaila, MEngSc, PhD(Eng)
http://akabaila.pcug.org.au/StructuralAnalysis.pdf