Tips & Tricks
jjames
Posts: 2,908
Well, I've been thinking about this for a week or two now, and finally did some searching to see if there was a thread already about this. The closest I found was Joe's thread called"[thread=178]Forum Organization Request[/thread]". Although, I'd love to see a "Tips'n'Tricks" category, I'm just not sure if it would become big enough to constitue an entire category to it. So instead, I thought I'd try to start a thread on the whole topic.
I'm not looking for trade secrets, just little things you've learned along the way, or something in class that you really gained and that someone perhaps might have missed. Two "tricks" that I learned in programming class was that you don't need to have anything before the REMOVE_STRING function for it to work, and that ATOI turns 'PRESET1' into just a 1, and automatically removes 'PRESET'. Little things such as those that a rookie might not know, or perhaps sharing your coding style, even colors in your editor (screen-shots would be cool), or what fonts you like use. Simple little things that you've found to help you out is what be suitable.
This doesn't have to pertain to only programming, this could be hardware related too. Issues you've run into, and what you've done to overcome them. Let's face it, not all of AMX's product and software is one-hundred percent perfect, so sometimes we have to "improvise, overcome and adapt."
Un-documented tips and tricks are sometimes the best, so why not share some? Some of us rookies could learn something from the veterans.
Oh yeah - tech support personnel, don't be shy to chip in too.
I'm not looking for trade secrets, just little things you've learned along the way, or something in class that you really gained and that someone perhaps might have missed. Two "tricks" that I learned in programming class was that you don't need to have anything before the REMOVE_STRING function for it to work, and that ATOI turns 'PRESET1' into just a 1, and automatically removes 'PRESET'. Little things such as those that a rookie might not know, or perhaps sharing your coding style, even colors in your editor (screen-shots would be cool), or what fonts you like use. Simple little things that you've found to help you out is what be suitable.
This doesn't have to pertain to only programming, this could be hardware related too. Issues you've run into, and what you've done to overcome them. Let's face it, not all of AMX's product and software is one-hundred percent perfect, so sometimes we have to "improvise, overcome and adapt."
Un-documented tips and tricks are sometimes the best, so why not share some? Some of us rookies could learn something from the veterans.
Oh yeah - tech support personnel, don't be shy to chip in too.
0
Comments
One thought: repost links to other threads and/or edit and summarize for this thread. Recent example:
Controllers seem to lock up if running DHCP and not on network.
http://www.amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=849
Related Tech Note: 362 ? Silly Lights on Masters
While not something I have been caught on in a long while (sorry) , that might make me a frustrated novice again (poring through diagnostics and staring at the face of the controller for five minutes).
How fundamental will the thread be? The convenience below was quite incredible to me with first Modero panel:
Use separate ports on a Modero for each device controlled & map TP channels to IR chan #s:
BUTTON_EVENT [TPDVD,0] // any button on that Modero port (use this port only for DVD buttons)
{
PUSH:
{
Pulse[dvDVD,button.input.channel] // IR channel mapped directly to TP button channel #s
}
}
Can?t wait to hear from ?the regulars??.
Bill Ravenel
By human nature, we take in what we want, and if someone doesn't care for a suggestion - just ignore it, however at least think about it (there is a reason why someone does something a certain way.) I don't want to seem like I'm setting rules or anything (because I'm not), I just want this to turn into a really helpful thread (possibly a "stickied" one) to anyone, whether their experienced or rookies, and remind people to use common courtesy.
Also, Bill - thanks for that tip. It seems like organizing your code would be quite simple.
Something I'd like contribute (also regarding orginization) is that I take much advantage the code folding. I have multiple DEFINE_VARIABLES, DEFINE_CONSTANTS, DEFINE_DEVICES, DEFINE_EVENTS, and also DEFINE_PROGRAMS. This makes finding things much more simple, rather than going through 20,000 lines of code (in this case only 6k) and hoping to find that one comment that tells you your'e in the DVD section, or whatever. The attachment might explain a little better.
Also, one last thing - these tips & tricks don't have to be original. If you heard it down the grape vine, found it helpful, and doesn't expose any trade secrets, then I think it's fair to share.
[post=4999]Here . . .[/post]
Maybe Suzanne can start a new POST.
Ask and you shall receive - I've added a new Tips and Tricks sub-forum to the Technical Forum. Enjoy!