TheSwamp
Code Red => AutoLISP (Vanilla / Visual) => Topic started by: skatterbrainz on December 07, 2017, 09:18:07 PM
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Just curious, so I'm asking anyone here: Is there enough interest in AutoLISP/Visual LISP to write another book? Is there enough new things since AutoCAD 2015 to add or change? If you answered "yes" to either question, do you have suggestions, requests, complaints about the other books that have been published that could be addressed in a new book? If it's not worth doing another one, that's fine, but I need your input to be the coin toss on this idea.
Thank you,
David Stein
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Hello, Dave. Long time. How have you been?
I'm on the fence a little about the book, that may be a tough sell. Besides, I'm not even sure there is that much new with the language is there? I think a refresh might be better.
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That makes sense. I'd be interested in hearing suggestions about what a refresh would need before it would be worth buying though.
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Hi David, nice to meet you :)
I don't do much AutoLisp and I haven't read your book/s but if you want to write something different I think there's plenty of scope for a 'what's next' type book.
That is, how to set up a larger projects, how to format your code, testing and other best practices. Maybe even things like writing lower level functions in C#/C++.
It's pretty easy to hack together some routines but pretty soon everyone hits that wall of spaghetti code but if you start off with a good strategy things are easier to maintain and extend.
Maybe it can be part of a rehash or a book in itself?
Either way, best of luck, cheers.
Mick
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That is very helpful. Thank you!
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Well, as it turns out, I ran through the latest VLISP command reference online and compared with the 2011 edition of the book and there have been quite a few updates and changes to the language as well as AutoCAD objects/entities and properties/methods, etc. So I think I will dive in and work on a 2018 edition. I will also try to incorporate anything posted on this thread as best as I can. Thank you!
David
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David,
Do you have an ETA on when you will have the 2018 edition ready?
Thanks,
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One of things that is very evident is a chapter about using libraries nearly all books have 101 lisp programs but never talk much about using a properly set up library just repeating coding. Having a look at some else's code they continuously repeated code so I rewrote it with defuns these all having a specific use so the next routine to be created could use those defuns also, the end product was something they do every day, but in different ways. Personally I have moved away from line after line questions enter L, enter W, enter H, to library user definable dcl's a 3 entry dcl with suggested values one click. It appears centre screen where your eyes are.
A lot of companies make a widget in variations hence the use of library functions.
(if (not AH:getval3)(load "getvals3"))
(ah:getval3 "Enter Horizontal scale " 5 4 "100" "Enter Vertical scale" 5 4 "50" "Enter number of decimal places" 5 4 "2")
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I think, you can use, the last version of vlaxcompil.. for new-book-vlisp-2018..
Downloading from...(see description)
https://youtu.be/jas3Skn7SuQ
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Just curious, so I'm asking anyone here: Is there enough interest in AutoLISP/Visual LISP to write another book? Is there enough new things since AutoCAD 2015 to add or change? If you answered "yes" to either question, do you have suggestions, requests, complaints about the other books that have been published that could be addressed in a new book? If it's not worth doing another one, that's fine, but I need your input to be the coin toss on this idea.
Thank you,
David Stein
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I completely agree on the comments about managing code in libraries and all that goes with that. That also overlaps things like team development, API modeling, and code management. Not sure I want to expand a book that far. I'm feeling less and less inclined to put a ton of time into another book. It just doesn't seem like there's nearly as much interest or need for it as there was a few years ago, which makes sense. Times change and tools change.
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One thing that may be worth looking at is not Autocad but maybe a suite on each extras like CIV3D, Electrical, Architectural etc. Just me personally I am still trying to complete a degree in CIV3d styles at times so complicated. I wrote a import description keys because it does not exist you can export but not import, as a Civil user the description keys are at the heart of starting any project converting field data. We have 250+ so it was a big task to setup. Rotating a Cogo point is just hard.
Please feel free to have alook at this it replaces the Toolspace option for surface model display with toolbar iocns.
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You guys know the you're talking to Dave Stein, right? He wrote the "Visual Lisp Bible".
BIGAL, I wrote an executable written in C to help with libraries called LiFP (Lisp File Preprocessor). You can find the executable/examples/instructions/tutorial here:
https://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=37700.0
skatterbrainz, I think there is still a need but I wonder if you start by just promoting your old book (seems like people forgot all about that wonderful resource) and see if you get some comments. We have a board for you to toss up a shameless plug. Try this link: https://www.theswamp.org/index.php?board=70.0