🚀 go-pugleaf

Dan,

Obviously I didn't make myself clear. I said the idea of the Delphi Basics
site as a replacement for the absent documentation was laughable since it is
such an inadequate response to the product's major deficiency; i.e. I am
not disparaging the Delphi Basics site, it's excellent as far as it goes.
What I meant was that it is ludicrous that people who spend several hundred
pounds on a complex piece of software should be directed to a third-part
hobbyist's site, no matter how good it is.

That is exactly what the new user has to do. And he shouldn't have to, any
more than he should have to have buy Mario Cantu's book. When I started with
Delphi 1, in 1996, I learnt the system through a combination of the help,
Delphi Magazine, umpteen Delphi web sites, and one or two third-party books
(which were indeed very useful). If I'd found the help was unusable and, on
complaining, had been told to go to some reference site I (and I think every
other user) would have been outraged. It's a joke -- not the excellent
Delphi Basics site, but the fact that that is all that's available.

It is a good suggestion, but my emphasis is on the fact it needs to made.
You wrote:

"I know CodeGear is working on the help (still) and I've given them a lot of
input on the priority and importance...
with *reasons* and *examples* of what the cause and effect is."

That would be fine if it was two months after the launch. It's nine
months -- and they seem to have done nothing effective. The December update
didn't speed up my copy of D2007 help in any fashion. I have never come
across anything like this (for incompetence) in the software world or in any
other industry. And it's especially puzzling given that the previous Help
versions were unusally good. My point is that making excuses for CodeGear or
persistently cutting them slack doesn't seem to be doing any good.

That's why I am going on like this. Perhaps if enough people make a fuss,
they may finally manage to get right what almost every software vendor gets
right the first time.

The truth is, I think Delphi is great product and I can't really imagine
switching to another RAD system. All the more reason therefore to be as
severe on them as possible. I want to carry on using Delphi -- and if they
can't do the Help properly, and then almost incomprehensibly fail to improve 
it
in nine months, it tends to shake one's confidence in their ability to take
Delphi further rather than backwards. It also means users are making enough 
noise. If everyone were to protest -- OK, maybe not in as strong terms as my 
protest -- it's just possible, fingers crossed, CodeGear might manage to get 
it together.

Simon


> I'm not sure you did read it or, if you did, you paid any attention to
> what was really said.
>
> re: "(The idea that in the absence of proper documentation new users can
> go to the Delphi Basics site is laughable.) "
>
> That is not a recommendation or excuse from CodeGear, but my own
> suggestion.  It has worked out fine for me, as a new user.  It's not
> laughable, but a workable solution. Likewise, investing in Cantu's works
> and reading them cover to cover is a big help.