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LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

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Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#31

Post by ijidak »

peckrob wrote: post #20
emmanueloga_ wrote: post #6

looks more of a modern day visual basic no? (no snark, VB was cool!)

I was thinking the same thing. Man I miss VB6. For rapidly prototyping an idea, I have yet to find anything that was as good as VB6. Drag a button, write code. Want to change things about the button? Use properties, that live update the GUI without recompiling. It was so simple that a reasonably intelligent person could grasp it in an afternoon, but in the hands of a capable developer could do some very impressive th…

I agree regarding VB6.

What are your thoughts about winforms? Seems pretty similar, no?

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#32

Post by chriswarbo »

JoblessWonder wrote: post #12

I'll take any opportunity to ask HN what sort of "Hypercard" like options are out there to get kids into programming. I still have many memories of creating my own "Choose Your Adventure" type game and having the other kids in my class be amazed at what I was able to create. It really stuck with me.

EToys is pretty nice http://www.squeakland.org

It's similar to Scratch (both use drag and drop "blocks", both use Smalltalk, although I think Scratch has a JS version now). The nice thing about EToys is that it manipulates objects in a direct and live way, whereas Scratch separate the "code" from the "scene". For example, EToys lets us draw a character and attach script blocks to make it move and react; but we can also attach script blocks to those script blocks; and so on. I find this more powerful, and reduces the barrier for "graduating" from block-based programming to "real" programming (EToys lets us mix and match scripting blocks with real Smalltalk code).

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#34

Post by paleogizmo »

badsectoracula wrote: post #25
paleogizmo wrote: post #5

In the spirit of HN contrarian comments, I'd say the closest thing spiritually to a modern-day HyperCard is PySimpleGUI: https://github.com/PySimpleGUI Previously the closest thing to HyperCard was WinForms, which PSG borrows heavily from. PSG is probably the fastest way for anyone moderately familar with python to throw together an ugly-but-servicable GUI program and I reach for it when I'm in a hurry. The two trick…

How is the closest thing to HyperCard when you need to type code to make the GUI? In HyperCard you draw the interface as if you were using a paint program, you create simple databases "living" inside the stack just by placing input fields around and you create links by placing buttons that you can make links to the other cards just by visiting them. You can make presentations, e-books, simple databases like phone boo…

I added the weasel-word "spiritually" for that reason. If I had a teenager wanting to make a gui program I would point them to PSG as it doesn't require much conceptual understanding nor many lines of code to bang something together. There are still graphical programming environments out there and there is even a general one in the form of LabVIEW community edition. However, they just don't have the network effect of Python which is the de facto "learn to program" language.

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#35

Post by paleogizmo »

mordechai9000 wrote: post #10
paleogizmo wrote: post #5

In the spirit of HN contrarian comments, I'd say the closest thing spiritually to a modern-day HyperCard is PySimpleGUI: https://github.com/PySimpleGUI Previously the closest thing to HyperCard was WinForms, which PSG borrows heavily from. PSG is probably the fastest way for anyone moderately familar with python to throw together an ugly-but-servicable GUI program and I reach for it when I'm in a hurry. The two trick…

It's been awhile since I've messed with a GUI in python, so I did quick image search to see just how ugly it is. And it actually looks very serviceable. A bit utilitarian, perhaps, but not too bad. I was expecting much worse, like the old Tk dialogs. And judging by the variety of examples I found, it can be themed to some degree. My only problem - and what has driven me to use web apps in the past - is the difficulti…

It's hackey, but PyInstaller works OK. I think there might even be an example in the official docs.

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#36

Post by jimbosis »

I'm not exactly a programmer (yet?), but I have a soft spot for LiveCode and really hope it gets more widespread recognition and adoption.

I also just want to make sure ViperCard gets mentioned in this thread:

https://www.vipercard.net/

"ViperCard is an open source re-creation and re-imagination of 1987's HyperCard."

I'm not too familiar with ViperCard, but from my reading of the website, it is possible to import existing HyperCard stacks into ViperCard.

There was a discussion about ViperCard on HN back on Mar. 25, 2018:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16675180

Edit: Add description quotation.

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#37

Post by carapace »

jimbosis wrote: post #33
carapace wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can I get a copy of the open source version without giving up my email address?

Yes. Use the links in the "Community Edition" column here: https://downloads.livecode.com/livecode/

Thank you! I'm much obliged.

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#38

Post by 7thaccount »

paleogizmo wrote: post #5

In the spirit of HN contrarian comments, I'd say the closest thing spiritually to a modern-day HyperCard is PySimpleGUI: https://github.com/PySimpleGUI Previously the closest thing to HyperCard was WinForms, which PSG borrows heavily from. PSG is probably the fastest way for anyone moderately familar with python to throw together an ugly-but-servicable GUI program and I reach for it when I'm in a hurry. The two trick…

You should really check out Rebol's ability to build GUIs and so forth. Generally not as full featured as WinForms, but infinitely easier to use.

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#39

Post by badsectoracula »

paleogizmo wrote: post #34
badsectoracula wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is the closest thing to HyperCard when you need to type code to make the GUI? In HyperCard you draw the interface as if you were using a paint program, you create simple databases "living" inside the stack just by placing input fields around and you create links by placing buttons that you can make links to the other cards just by visiting them. You can make presentations, e-books, simple databases like phone boo…

I added the weasel-word "spiritually" for that reason. If I had a teenager wanting to make a gui program I would point them to PSG as it doesn't require much conceptual understanding nor many lines of code to bang something together. There are still graphical programming environments out there and there is even a general one in the form of LabVIEW community edition. However, they just don't have the network effect of…

But HyperCard wasn't really for making GUI programs - i do not even think many people who used it viewed themselves as programmers (at least not any more than people who make complex stuff on Excel do). Sure, you can place buttons and input fields, but it was more of a hyperlinked painting program that also allowed you to enter interactive elements.

I think it was closer to something like Powerpoint (which i think also allows you to put interactive elements and jump between slides) and Access (though actually Microsoft Works' database is much closer to it) than even Visual Basic (as was mentioned in another comment).

Re: LiveCode is a modern day HyperCard (2019)

#40

Post by jimbosis »

carapace wrote: post #37
jimbosis wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Use the links in the "Community Edition" column here: https://downloads.livecode.com/livecode/

Thank you! I'm much obliged.

You're welcome! I remember digging hard to find that page when I ran into the same issue you described above. (:
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