[REBOL] Re: [BUG?] read-io & write-io or Wait or is TCL better?
From: petr:krenzelok:trz:cz at: 7-Aug-2003 16:33
Ladislav Mecir wrote:
>>>Actually, you're wrong. First of all, READ-IO and WRITE-IO are
>>>lowlevel functions;
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>OK, that is just presumption. Novice user will not know that ... we are
>>here far too long and that is why we remember Holger stating that. But
>>you can bet novice user will do exactly the same bug - will not clear
>>the buffer.
>>
>>
>
>Even a novice user has to know, it is documented:
>
>USAGE:
> READ-IO port buffer length
>
>DESCRIPTION:
> Low level read from a port.
>
>I never used low level functions without a good reason and never complained, because
I knew, that the bug was between the keyboard and the chair I was sitting on.
>
>Instead of writing things like: "Don't use your owen for animal drying!", I see the
warning (low level) and the "lack of beginner documentation" in this case as sufficient.
>
>Everyone who ignores that has to be prepared for the consequences. Besides, it is highly
probable, that the behaviour of low level stuff may change between implementations.
>
The problem lays in "low-level" word - I never cared about what does it
exactly mean - once you try to find a solution, you just use what is
available. It may be called ignorance, but for "novices", it simply
works - the function is available, so why not to use it - kind of
aproach. Unless I see NOTE: or STAY-AWAY kind of things in docs, a
little "low-level" word means just nothing to me - I still expect things
to work somehow magically :-)
As I said - no matter what we think about it, Norman was just one of
those ppl, who faced the problem, was not first, will not be the last,
and that is the reality, not some
this-is-low-level-you-should-know-what-it-means kind of theory suggestions.
I was suprised that dictionary description of read-io is already very
nice and informal. Maybe a small note as - beware - it is a good
practise to clear your buffer in your while loop ... etc. would be
sufficient to save wasted hours of testing for those who reach read-io
function ignoring what the "low-level" actually means ... ;-)
-pekr-
