[TxMt] Re: How can TextMate be so popular???

[Jacob Rus]

tlm wrote:
> For those who didn't believe what I wrote, below I include detailed
> instructions so that you can reproduce what I reported with your very
> own little copy of TextMate!

Hopefully what I write below will be clear enough for you to process in 
your own little copy of a head!  Or wait a sec, maybe we'd get a more 
useful conversation if we cut the asstastic sarcasm, and started acting 
like adults!  So with that out of the way, I'll try to be civil.

> On 3/6/07, Michael Gregoire <mgee at gwi.net> wrote:
>> Not at all true. TextMate comes with a cl executable which allows for
>> opening of files and directories via the command-line.
> 
> Are you telling me that every time I want to open a new file I have
> the choice of either using the GUI or switching to a Terminal window
> so that I can use the CLI?  I certainly prefer the latter over the
> former, but it is awkward at best.  Sheesh...

Er, no.  You can use any method you like to open files.  Personally I 
use Quicksilver, but if you want you can press ⌘O then ⌘⇧G, type 
whatever path you want, and press ↩↩.  If the ⌘⇧G part is too long, you 
can just type '/' or '~' instead.

Alternately, if you don't like any of OS X's file opening methods, you 
can easily make your own TextMate command to open files on a path.  As I 
said before, you'll probably be happier just using Quicksilver though.

> As for the Help business, for those who dare to see how much your
> beloved TM's Help sucks, try this.  Switch to the Finder, invoke Help,
> in the search box enter anything you like, for example "preferences",
> click on the first result, and now use Cmd-F to search for occurrences
> of a particular word in that page.  Pick a word you know is there.
> Success!  (So don't blame the OSX Help system for TM's developers'
> incompetence.)

Actually, this fails for me.  In fact, the behavior is identical in the 
Finder and TextMate cases.

> Now try exactly the same thing with the TextMate Help.  For added fun,
> put "project" in the search box, and pick the top hit "Working with
> multiple files".  Now do Cmd-F and search for the word "project".
> BONK!  BONK!  BONK!  Awesome, innit?  And one can't blame it on OSX;
> the Help pages for Finder, Safari, Mail, etc., don't have this
> problem.

Okay, now try the first couple steps in here again.  Now insert a very 
tricky step.  Look up at the menu bar and tell me what the name of the 
application is.  Notice that it does not say "TextMate"

> But now, let's behold this project business.  In the help page I learn
> that, if I'm happy with a lot of dragging and dropping, it is very
> easy (and **FUN**) to create a project.  I don't see the point in
> going through these hoops just to avoid having a zillion windows
> around.  This is *at best* an annoyance.  My editor keeps state
> between sessions without any of this nonsense.  But, granted, given
> the choice of wading through a dozen windows and spending some quality
> time with my mouse and together assemble a project of all the files
> I'd care to edit, I guess I'd pick...  Hmm....  I guess I'd just keep
> my $50.

Or, you could try to learn some new tricks.  TextMate is not Emacs/Vim. 
  It does not aspire to be.  Those do not open new windows because an 
80x24 terminal is not capable of handling windows.  Fortunately, for the 
last 30 years or so (since the PARC Alto I think) we've had this nice 
ability to put different bits of content on different layers, and move 
them around.  It's quite a neat concept! (and I'm not being sarcastic 
here.  It really is a neat concept.)

Now, the TextMate way is to open one window for each project.  I suggest 
you try it out instead of ranting.  You might even come to like it as 
the rest of us have.

> In my original post I wrote that to design software to beep without
> giving the user an error message is an inexcusable bit of software
> engineering malpractice.  Sure enough, out of all the copious rebuttal
> attempts I got, not a single one even tried to excuse it, so I guess
> my assessment was correct after all.  I guess we only differ in that I
> have higher standards for software than you all, especially if I'm
> expected to pay for it.

If every time the folding pattern fell down TM put up an error message, 
I would fly to Denmark and kick Allan myself.  That said, the folding 
can definitely be improved so that these errors are less common (as 
you'll note I mentioned in my original reply).

> To the responder who protested that I had not taken the time to learn
> about TextMate, I just want to point out that I ran into all these
> problems in literally less than 2 minutes of use.  Well-designed
> software doesn't perform so poorly even when the user is starting out.

And no doubt someone who had never used any piece of complex software 
before would have similar issues.  If you sat an unexperienced user down 
in front of Photoshop, the effect would be much worse.

> But I'm glad you all love your TextMate.  Standards for software are
> very low I suppose.  And paid software to boot!  Too bad.
> 
> Now, please proceed with your wallowing.

Yes, as a matter of fact we do.  But we're a bit fed up with your 
complaints; standards for whining seem to have dropped very low I 
suppose.  And unsolicited whining to boot!  Too bad.

Now please don't let the door hit you on your way out.

-Jacob