Re: The auto contact

["Robert L Bass" <Sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Frank Olson" wrote:
>
> As I recall, the "help file" was produced with a readily available
> off-the-shelf program...

The help development tool I used is called RoboHelp.  The VP of Edwards said
my help system was the best he'd ever seen.

> and IMHO the references to various participants in this newsgroup still
> ranks as one of the most unprofessional things I've ever seen.  I certainly
> wouldn't take any pride in that, Robert.

I thought it was pretty damned funny, considering all the hate posts from the
named participants claiming I was doing no such thing at the time.

BTW, the app we developed did something no other downloader did before nor, to
my knowledge, has done since.  It provided the ability to configure and
download virtually any control panel by simply modifying the schema.  Instead
of spending a few hundred hours writing a new app or even a new module every
time a new series of panels is created, the manufacturer only needs to change
a simple, easy to understand (because it's well commented) text file.  Try
that with Compass or Quickloader.

Our software team has, cumulatively, over 80 years of experience.  My sister
has been writing machine control apps since the 70's.  Mike has done
everything from high level coding (COBOL, Fortran, etc.) to firmware.  He has
written the most comprehensive development tool for COBOL in use today.  He
also developed an OS for a mainframe builder.  We were offered the job of
developing the firmware for Edwards as well as the downloader, but we turned
that down due to time constraints and concentrated on the DACT Manager (since
renamed, IIRC).

I learned programming in 1969 when a "small" computer would fill a large room
and PC's were the stuff of futuristic cartoons.  I've written modules to
enhance industry apps like BOLD.  I've also developed a number of stand-alone
apps, including one of the first (really basic) computerized central station
monitoring systems.  That system was not for market -- something I wrote to
help manage my own small central station.  After a couple of years using it I
purchased BOLD and went on to write a number of add-ons for it.  Although I
learned five languages, I have nowhere near the coding experience of my family
members.  Other business interests have kept me too busy to do as much in that
area as I might otherwise have done.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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