Has the programming changed?
I need to be able to write code and not just drag images around.
I guess I'm old school but I hate design tools that try to do everything for you and don't give you the option to get your hands dirty.
Cre**ron has an adaptation of what looks a lot like C built in -- Simple Windows Plus. Using SW+ is a lot like writing a module. You still have to create some symbols to get data into your SW+ module and back out, but otherwise you can do just about everything in SW+. This capability, as far as I can tell, has existed since the generation of Cre**ron processors previous to the present.
One nice thing about those other guys is that they don't hide the insides of their modules, which seem to work very well. And, you can learn a heck of a lot about how to program in their stuff just by looking at the third party device modules and their code samples.
So, I have a big preference for the AMX equipment and the AMX programming paradigm -- probably because I have experience with other procedural languages. But, the other guy's aren't building junk and once you get into it, their programming system can be powerful and flexible.
One nice thing about those other guys is that they don't hide the insides of their modules, which seem to work very well. And, you can learn a heck of a lot about how to program in their stuff just by looking at the third party device modules and their code samples.
I could not agree more with the module comment!
I also must give praise to AMX for this forum, which is a GREAT learning tool for all of us and I'm very impressed they don't police it like Fidel Castro... does AMX sell panels in Cuba?
I also must give praise to AMX for this forum, which is a GREAT learning tool for all of us and I'm very impressed they don't police it like Fidel Castro... does AMX sell panels in Cuba?
Of course, that's where the plastic cases are made, might as well make a little local business
I'll second that. I reversed engineered one of their modules and got it to work with my AMX code because AMX did not have the module out yet. Once AMX had the module I used it.
SIMPL+ is great, but i lacks documentation. AMX' documentation is top notch!
Cre*tron has documentation for both SW and SW+. There's really quite a lot of it, and it's sufficient.
For SW there is a primer which explains how the programming system works. There is also a "Symbol Guide", but I've found that the interactive help in SW suffices. If equipment is available to experiment with, a person should be able to self-teach the basics of SW programming by reading the primer, looking at sample programs, and playing around with the IDE and it shouldn't take long to get to the point where you can write simple programs -- a couple days. If a person already has some proficiency with AMX equipment and Netlinx, then complicated programming skills should come pretty quickly too. The logic that is implemented in the two systems is, in my opinion, virtually the same. The equipment to be controlled is just about the same, too.
For SW+, there is a programming guide which explains how SW+ works and how to put a SW+ module into a SW program. Then there is the "Language Reference Guide" which is about 360 pages and which covers the language syntax and explains the library functions. A person with some experience and familiarity with a another high-level programming language (C in particular) should be able to figure out SW+ with just the documentation in pretty short order. SW+ appears to me to be much closer to C than is Netlinx.
I like AMX, Netlinx studio, master-to-master communications, etc.I like the way that studio interfaces with the equipment, I like the Netlinx master web server, the telnet server, etc. I think that the built in editor in Studio is pretty darned good -- I see no advantage to something like Emacs or UltrEdit. I also like the fact that all of the AMX software is pretty stable (yeah, I know there are some bugs and weird things, but generally, I think it is excellent). But, when the occasional C*tron job comes along, it's ok. It's not nearly as bad as eating liver or something.
Comments
Cre**ron has an adaptation of what looks a lot like C built in -- Simple Windows Plus. Using SW+ is a lot like writing a module. You still have to create some symbols to get data into your SW+ module and back out, but otherwise you can do just about everything in SW+. This capability, as far as I can tell, has existed since the generation of Cre**ron processors previous to the present.
One nice thing about those other guys is that they don't hide the insides of their modules, which seem to work very well. And, you can learn a heck of a lot about how to program in their stuff just by looking at the third party device modules and their code samples.
So, I have a big preference for the AMX equipment and the AMX programming paradigm -- probably because I have experience with other procedural languages. But, the other guy's aren't building junk and once you get into it, their programming system can be powerful and flexible.
I also must give praise to AMX for this forum, which is a GREAT learning tool for all of us and I'm very impressed they don't police it like Fidel Castro... does AMX sell panels in Cuba?
Cre*tron has documentation for both SW and SW+. There's really quite a lot of it, and it's sufficient.
For SW there is a primer which explains how the programming system works. There is also a "Symbol Guide", but I've found that the interactive help in SW suffices. If equipment is available to experiment with, a person should be able to self-teach the basics of SW programming by reading the primer, looking at sample programs, and playing around with the IDE and it shouldn't take long to get to the point where you can write simple programs -- a couple days. If a person already has some proficiency with AMX equipment and Netlinx, then complicated programming skills should come pretty quickly too. The logic that is implemented in the two systems is, in my opinion, virtually the same. The equipment to be controlled is just about the same, too.
For SW+, there is a programming guide which explains how SW+ works and how to put a SW+ module into a SW program. Then there is the "Language Reference Guide" which is about 360 pages and which covers the language syntax and explains the library functions. A person with some experience and familiarity with a another high-level programming language (C in particular) should be able to figure out SW+ with just the documentation in pretty short order. SW+ appears to me to be much closer to C than is Netlinx.
I like AMX, Netlinx studio, master-to-master communications, etc.I like the way that studio interfaces with the equipment, I like the Netlinx master web server, the telnet server, etc. I think that the built in editor in Studio is pretty darned good -- I see no advantage to something like Emacs or UltrEdit. I also like the fact that all of the AMX software is pretty stable (yeah, I know there are some bugs and weird things, but generally, I think it is excellent). But, when the occasional C*tron job comes along, it's ok. It's not nearly as bad as eating liver or something.