On Mon, 07 Sep 1998 01:09:07 GMT, new### [at] DESPAMpovrayorg
(povray.org admin team) wrote:

>Xno### [at] ezwvcom (G. Berry) wrote:
>
>>this is an editor built into POV-Ray, having POV-Ray be the default
>>language seems very appropriate. 
>
>The default is chosen according to the extension. 

That's not totally correct! The extension of the file can activate the
syntax highlighting feature, but *only* if the file is not currently
on the MRU list. In that case, the MRU's language settings will
override the language setting normally suggested by the file's
extension.  (This is not in ANY of the documentation.)

>We will not make
>POV a 'default' for all files because people will complain.
>
When I asked for POV-Ray's editor to make "POV-Ray" the default
language, I meant for *new* files saved with ".pov" and ".inc"
extensions, to be automatically recognized as POV-Ray files by the
editor, and to use "POV-Ray language" syntax highlighting on them by
default, instead of not highlighting them at all. 

>As for the fact that .POV isn't chosen when you do a save as, that's
>fixed in the next version. 
>

This sounds like you plan on fixing the very bug I was originally
trying to notify you about, but got my head bit off in this newsgroup,
when I dared to casually discuss it here, after sending in a proper
bug report. You spend one sentence in your post to tell me the most
important thing: that the situation is getting "fixed". That's all you
needed to say. Then you waste most of your post below on sarcasticly
antagonizing me after I tried to be helpful and submit a bug report.

>> I wonder how many other settings change themselves automatically when
>> a new file is created?
>
>If you'd read the release notes

I read plenty of things!!! 

1) All applicable things on the POV-Ray website
2)  The "README" file at the ftp.povray.org site
3) The "Read.me" file in my POV-Ray installation directory.
4) The "Readme.doc" file in the same directory.
5) The "povwin.doc" file.
6) The "Povwhere.get" file - not related to this, but I did read it.
7) The "Povlegal.doc" file - not related to this, but I did read it.
8) The "Betanews.txt" file.
9) The "changes.txt" file.
10) Three Windows format help files.

I despise your automatically assuming I didn't read the documents
before posting or sending email.

> and had a bit of a play with the editor properties, 

Does a couple hours of frustration with trying to get consistent
editor syntax highlighting sound like enough "play" to you? Don't dare
belittle me like that, as if I didn't make an effort.

>you wouldn't have needed to post here

I did the very things you have mentioned and guess what? I still
needed to post here!

> (or send us two emails >**as well**)  asking how to fix it.

I had found frustrating, undocumented behaviour. It  sure seemed like
a bug to me. Not because it was a "feature" that I just didn't like,
but because the program was behaving in a way that was contradictory
to what documentation existed so far. The documentation clearly states
that the new editor would recognize files with ".pov" extensions as
being POV syntax. I was saving files in the ".pov" extension, and the
editor wasn't recognizing them as such. 

Having to explicitly tell the editor that each new file is in the POV
language, is *not* the same thing as the editor *recognizing* the file
as being in the language.

Yes, of course, I "had a bit of play" with the CodeMax properties. One
of the first things I did when I installed the program was to set each
and every option available to suit my personal taste. When I started
having trouble with the syntax highlighting, I checked the "language"
setting several times. Each time I checked it, it always said
"POV-Ray". 

No one told me that the instant that I clicked "File New", that the
previously affirmed "POV-Ray" setting would automatically change to
"<none>". Since the other settings were staying the same after I set
them, I expected that the language setting would stay the same also.
Even if the language *did* temporarily revert to "<none>", according
to *your* docs, I was lead to believe the moment I save the file as a
".pov" file, it should be recognized as having POV-Ray syntax. 

Since this is a beta test, it is entirely appropriate to send email to
the Bug Report address to alert you of a possible bug. I sent all the
actually pertinent information to you in the first email. Then I
realized that I had omitted some information that your help file
practically demands to be included with each bug report. I had forgot
to send you my computer and OS stats. I am sorry about that. So to
fufill the help file's request, I sent the second email moments after
the first, with the additional information.

Also in your help file message about bug reporting, you mention that I
shouldn't expect a personal answer from anyone on the POV-Team. After
reading that, I didn't expect you to answer my email.  I posted my
comments to the newsgroup in case *someone* in the newsgroup might
have some insight into the issue. Since the Bug Report address was not
to be considered a "user help desk" it seemed my only potential outlet
for feedback.

As for my, "asking how to fix it", as you phrased it above,  I never
asked you in my email "how do I fix this?".  Any sentences in that
email with question marks, contain merely *rhetorical* questions,
since I had already been told not to expect an answer from my email.

>In future if you want to rely on assistance from others to solve your
>problems, 

I wasn't asking anyone to solve one of *my* problems! I was alerting
the Bug Report address of what I considered to be a bug in POV-Ray,
which would be *your* problem, not mine. If you reread that little
note, it was very polite. It started out with the sentence: 

   "I hope this is of some help to know about..."

This is not the note of a person demanding help with their personal
problems. This was written by a person that tried merely to give you
the bug report feedback you had requested, and in the manner you had
requested it, to the best of his abilities. I don't appreciate your
smearing my character with your remark above.

>at least do us the courtesy of choosing one or the other.  If
>I'd known that you also posted to the newsgroup I wouldn't have taken
>the time to personally answer your email (not that it took very long,
>but it was still a waste of my time, because it is now clear that you
>already knew the answer before I even sent the reply).

Why are you exerting further effort and wasting even more of your time
by chastizing me in public like this, when I didn't even expect you to
write me in the first place? READ YOUR OWN MANUAL! I'm not to expect
an answer from a Bug Report! Just because *YOU* decided to write, and
failed to be first with a helpful answer is *NOT* a problem of mine! I
will not be criticized for *your* actions!

In the past, I have spoken positively on your behalf. I have said good
things about you and the rest of the POV-Team. I imagine you might
feel under some pressure in regards to developing POV. I have never
tried to pressure you or any POV-Team member into doing anything. In
fact, when people were clamoring for the release of POV 3.0, and some
people were making scornful remarks to the POV-Team on
"comp.graphics.rendering.raytracing", I came to your defense. I can
remember that you took the trouble to write an email to me then,
thanking me for the kind remarks I made on your behalf.

I have just one question:  (and you don't have to waste any of your
precious time actually responding here or via email - this is another
one of those rhetorical questions)


YOU USED TO BE A NICE FELLOW, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?

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