[QLab] multiple languages

[Charlie Richmond]

On Wed, 7 Nov 2007, Christopher Ashworth wrote:

> Which brings up an interesting conflict going forward:
>
> Currently there is one working directory. This provides a certain
> degree of power (changing the working directory, pulling in media from
> different hard disks, etc) but also causes confusion (how to move from
> one machine to another).
>
> There are two competing interests for the future:
>
> 1) Go in the direction of multiple possible PATHs (i.e. working
> directories), that adds more power but also more complexity and
> confusion.

Yes, it always has with our software, which is one big reason why programs that 
don't incorporate this possibility have been more widely accepted for simpler 
shows ;-)  Or maybe it's just that we never hid the complexity and left it 
hanging out for all to see and ponder over.  Perhaps if this capability were 
left hidden until it were needed, then power users could 'discover' it and move 
to incorporate it when they are ready for it....

> 2) Go in the direction of no visible working directory that reduces
> power but makes life a lot easier for many users.
>
> Hopefully I can find a third path to get the best of both worlds.  :)

And combining these two things as you suggest may well provide the key.  In 
other words, keep it hidden until activated or needed.

>> This also
>> can be used for Fernando's short (children's) and long (adults)
>> versions.
>
> Can it?  I'm not sure I see how.

The way we always incorporated PATHS was to allow Cue lists to use sequences of 
Paths so that multiple shows that needed the same exact cues could specify the 
exact same paths (directories) when desired and different ones when necessary.

Using the simplest example:

Long show, list 1 comprises:

Path 1/Path 2/Path 3/Path 4/Path 5/Path 6/ etc. all called up in that order 
(paths normally have to have numbers but you can define the actual location of 
the directory when the show defaults are defined)

Short show, list 1 comprises:

Path 1/Path 3/Path 5/Path 7/ etc....  where the actual paths are the same in 
both shows.

Another option is to point Path 2 to different hard linked directories in the 
two shows, if there are cues that are needed but are different lengths or 
content and have the same number of paths in both shows.

> If you'll allow me to geek out for a moment, if you put Fernando's
> situation in the context of a file system, Fernando is asking for hard
> links where QLab only currently provides soft links / sym links.
> Which is independent of what working directory is used.

You can always geek out, but I may not always understand ;-)  I think you are 
saying the symbolic link refers to paths that can change based on the working 
directory and are therefore relative to that, whereas Fernando is asking for 
links that can be defined in absolute terms.  I suspect my example fits into 
this picture if you think of 'Path 1' 'Path 2' etc. as being the symbolic link 
that the user works with but the hard coded pointer for those paths (which are 
set up with the show configuration, which does not change during the show) being 
able to be defined regardless of the current working directory.

We never had the concept of a 'current working directory' since each of many 
lists could have many paths which could be shared and/or defined within each 
show, so in essence providing many potential 'working directories' - and much 
complications, confusion and complexity as well ;-)

Charlie