Shared Phidgets Bugreport


Please insert every bug of the Shared Phidgets Toolkit you find here in the bugreport list. Just go to the section of the tool where the bug has occured, and create a new list point with describing the bug. If you have any further questions, just email to "nicolai.marquardt -at- gmail -dot- com".


Shared Phidgets .NET Components (and the interface skins):

  • n/a

Shared Phidgets Connector:

  • n/a

Shared Phidgets Server:

  • n/a

Shared Phidgets Examples and Controlling Tools:

  • n/a

Saul's diary of using Phidgets + Documentation

I thought I would keep a diary recounting installation of shared phidgets from scratch.

Getting Started with the Shared Phidgets Infrastructure

  • Also straightforward. My only concern is that the instructions may seem daunting to a person who has never done this before. We should test that.
  • You should mention on the server / connector pages that these run as toolbar items, i.e., x doesn't exit but shrinks. You do this at the end, but its easy to miss. Show an image of the icon and explain it as one of the numbered items in the list.
  • In Section 4 of Getting Started With The Shared Phidgets Infrastructure, you start by having people invoke the SharedPhidget Manager programm. This is a 'secondary' program that isn't particularly useful, as all its features are visible in the Connection Manager. Instead, have them start the Controller. I would actually point them to a page to show them how and an example of what it looks like (.e.g, as you do for the connector). For the other items in that list, I would also point them to the relevant tutorial. Finally, I would add a section that describes:
    • the applicatons in the top level SharedPhidgets Start menu (e.g., Device Browser, Local Settings) - only essential applications should be here.
    • the applications under the 'applications' menu - these are all example applications rather than important ones (I think), and you should say so.



WHAT IS ALREADY FIXED:

Installation

  • http://grouplab.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/cookbook/index.php?n=Toolkits.SharedPhidgetsSystemRequirements Toolkits: SharedPhidgetsSystemRequirements
    • this page makes no mention of .NET Framework 2.0 or VS 2005 i.e., you should tell them if it runs in this environment.
    • You wrote: If you want to develop applications that change the shared dictionary of the server directly, you have to install the .Networking toolkit. You mean it doesn't install .Networking? This is a bit unclear because it obviously uses it. Can you explain?
  • The Grouplab VisualStudio Toolbox Un-/Installer text in the dialog box is all about 2002/2003, and just says the 2005 support will be available in next release. I only had 2005 installed, so this did not help. It may be good to add a bit of text to this dialog box saying something like:
    • SharedPhidget components are usually added to the Visual Studio Toolbox so you can drag and drop Shared Phidget Objects and Skins into your program. However, <existing text> . For now, you can add them manually. To do this, look at the directions at <wpecific cookbook page URL>
  • If people do have to add things manually to 2005, you may want to give them a page illustrating how to do this.
  • otherwise very straightforward installation