RE: iNav -vs- Green (was URGENT !! Situation critique pour mimoire secondaire.)

["Evan Harris" <spanner@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Larry

All good points, but Navigator just isn't that good a tool.

On those occasions when I have had it running for an extended period, when I
go back to it after writing a document or doing something in the office I
often find it is not responding or simply refuses to answer key strokes. I
understand that for some things it's waiting on the server but it should
work better than simply stop responding after not being used for a while.
Does this ever happen to you ? Is it a problem unique to my PC or all the
other various PC's it has happened to me on connected to different machines
on different sites ? Has this been fixed in a recent patch ?

I have created Ethernet interfaces in iNav, but the problem is it's a GUI: I
can't script it. It doesn't have a decent export/import tool config or
actions process, so if I am creating the interfaces at a customer site, I
can't pre-prepare the commands (like for change control) and supply a script
to run. With the green screen I can prompt the commands; enter the
parameters in advance; F14 to get the command string and cut and paste it
into a document or save the commands in a CL. In the GUI I have to sit there
and point and click and type when I should be able import and run an XML
config file or a macro that's been documented, tested, reviewed and
approved.

The fact that I have to use the GUI for one check box is an idiocy that
can't be disguised simply by telling me to use the tool that enforces that
idiocy. Both the command line interface and the GUI should have equivalent
parameters.

I agree with you regarding the superiority of the active jobs display and
outqueues etc for filtering and sorting, but last time I tried every time I
customised it like moving columns around or changing sort orders I had to do
it again the next time I started iNav - why didn't it remember my
customisations ? Has this behaviour changed ?

If I select 100 objects and right click in order to change the permissions
why does it suddenly flood my screen with 100 dialogue boxes instead of just
one with all but the common properties greyed out ?

Every release I try this tool out again and every release the same basic
problems remain even though new functions get added for gee-whiz effect.
This is not about me living in the past - why should my productivity go
backwards because of a poorly implemented tool ? I do encourage others to
use it and "talk it up" with those that don't already know the command
interface, but it should be better.

I do use it regularly enough but I'm sorry, the problem is not me, it's the
tool.

By the way, I don't use WDSC but that's chiefly because a lot of my
customers sites don't have it installed and I just don't do enough
development work to justify it - although maybe I could use it as a
replacement for iNav :) 

Regards
Evan Harris


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of lbolhuis@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, 18 April 2008 2:21 p.m.
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Cc: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'; midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: iNav -vs- Green (was URGENT !! Situation critique pour mimoire
secondaire.)

Boys, I just can't let this sit.

1) Okay iNav is not 'zippy skippy fast' but if you have a decent (read
anything recent) PC it's not as slow as you all make it out to be. Now if
you're running against an old model 170 of course the server side is going
to be a drag on the speed but again with a recent system it's truly not bad.
Part of your complaint is that you rarely use it. If you have it up all day
as I normally do then it's already running and it performs even better.

2) Have you tried creating your interfaces in iNav so that you don't have to
switch to it to check the Proxy Arp box? Why do something half way, or even
95% in one interface that cannot complete the task only to switch to the
other for one check box? Give it up!

3) I don't care how big your screen is. You can only get a little over a
dozen rows and 8 or so data columns you're only choosing the font pitch. 
On my laptop with a second screen above the laptop panel I can see 138 jobs
in iNav and over 20 columns of data.  AND I can sort on any column with a
click. AND I can select jobs with F11 AND I can customize and sequence
columns with F12.  AND I can create a link to active jobs (or any other
function) by dragging it to my desktop or quick launch. 

I don't suppose you boys use or WDSC or RDI either? Another of those GUI
things that takes a few seconds to load and as a consequence might not be
work the trouble? 

I know a builder who wouldn't go to the hardware store for a new blade for
his sawzall. Instead he spent 5 minutes literally burning through a 2x4. 
He wouldn't get his air nailer out of the truck either because it took three
trips to get the nailer the compressor the hoses and the nails. Used 
some cheap hammer because 'it booted up faster' (my term.)   Learn the new 
tools or get left behind. Really this sort of 'living in the past' so to
speak is part of the reason that our competition thinks that i *IS* the
past. 

  - Larry
 
Larry Bolhuis                   IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert - 
System i Solutions
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