Software library thread order

[grsbanks]

While I can see the sense in ordering threads alphabetically in the "Software library" forum sections, with the sheer number of threads now it is beginning to get rather unwieldy.

Yes, you can click on the link to the right that takes you straight to the latest post in the section but what if more than one thread has been added to?

Personally, I find that the first thing I do when going into one of those four sections is sort it by latest post in descending order anyway. Would it not make sense now to have them sorted that way by default like the other sections?

[Gerald H]

I second your suggestions.

I further urge that the postings are bundled in directories named for the particular model the programmes are written for.

The present flat listing & inconsistent naming of entries hinders efficient finding of programmes for some specified model.

[pier4r]

(03-31-2017 06:12 PM)Gerald H Wrote:  I second your suggestions.

I further urge that the postings are bundled in directories named for the particular model the programmes are written for.

I support the ordering in subfolders (of course slowly, since there are many threads).

I understand why it happened though. One expects few entries and so a flat order would be fine, to then explode in hundred of entries that requires a new level of order.

[Dieter]

(03-31-2017 06:12 PM)Gerald H Wrote:  I second your suggestions.

I further urge that the postings are bundled in directories named for the particular model the programmes are written for.

I assume this was the original idea of the current structure: there are dedicated areas for the 41, the 65/67/97 and the Prime. The problem: it's just these three calculator series, everything else falls into the "General Software Library". And this category applies to very common calculators like the 35s or the 34s, or the 12C and 15C. This way it has become by far the largest category, it is even larger than the Prime section with programs for a current calculator!

So at last the question is: how detailled does it have to get? Independent sections for the 34s and 35s would make sense, then 12C, 15C, maybe another one for the Wookstocks, ... but how far should this go? We cannot have a forum for each and every calculator type HP ever made.

Dieter

[Sylvain Cote]

(04-01-2017 07:26 AM)Dieter Wrote:  We cannot have a forum for each and every calculator type HP ever made.

No but you could have two threads (financial & scientific) per family (Classic, Woodstock-Sting, Spice-Spike, etc).
Sylvain

[StephenG1CMZ]

(04-01-2017 07:26 AM)Dieter Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 06:12 PM)Gerald H Wrote:  I second your suggestions.

I further urge that the postings are bundled in directories named for the particular model the programmes are written for.

I assume this was the original idea of the current structure: there are dedicated areas for the 41, the 65/67/97 and the Prime. The problem: it's just these three calculator series, everything else falls into the "General Software Library". And this category applies to very common calculators like the 35s or the 34s, or the 12C and 15C. This way it has become by far the largest category, it is even larger than the Prime section with programs for a current calculator!

So at last the question is: how detailled does it have to get? Independent sections for the 34s and 35s would make sense, then 12C, 15C, maybe another one for the Wookstocks, ... but how far should this go? We cannot have a forum for each and every calculator type HP ever made.

Dieter

I find it puzzling that the General Software Library seems to consist exclusively of programs for specific calculators. If we were starting from scratch, It would make more sense for these to be in a Specific Calculator Programs library (or broken up into specific calculators/groups). General Software ought to be what it says: General - algorithms in readable pseudocode, or an index to algorithms implemented on several calculators, surely? At present, there is no obvious place to look for these. But in reality it is probably easier to keep General Software as-is and add a new really-general category.

[pier4r]

(04-01-2017 07:26 AM)Dieter Wrote:  . but how far should this go? We cannot have a forum for each and every calculator type HP ever made.

Dieter

This is a good question. I would suggest: when a calculator reaches one page worth of topics (so 20 IIRC), the calculator can have its own section in my opinion.

Or calculators can be grouped, like 48,49,50 userRPL and get their subsection (always when all together have enough topics that can fill one forum page)

[tcab]

(03-31-2017 12:02 PM)grsbanks Wrote:  Personally, I find that the first thing I do when going into one of those four sections is sort it by latest post in descending order anyway. Would it not make sense now to have them sorted that way by default like the other sections?

I also vote for this change, namely to change the default sort for e.g. Prime Software Library forum to be latest post, descending, like most other forum sections. I like to see the latest contributions easily.