Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.sys.mac.hypercard > #126

[CM] Let's revive hypercard

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

Followups directed to: comp.sys.mac.hypercard

Show all headers | View raw

From the «and gophernet too, while we're at it» department:
Title: It's Time To Revive Hypercard
Author: timothy
Date: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 08:31:00 -0400
Link: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/bSXhCB2kcdI/story01.htm

HughPickens.com writes HyperCard, an application program and programming tool
released for the Apple Macintosh in 1987, represented the 'computing for the
people' philosophy that enabled users to go past the pre-built software that
came on their machines, and to program and build software of their own. "Mac
users could use Hypercard to build their own mini-programs to balance their
taxes, manage sports statistics, make music – all kinds of individualized
software that would be useful (or fun) for individual users." Now Jer Thorp
writes that the end of HyperCard left a huge gap that desperately needs to be
filled – a space for an easy to use, intuitive tool that will once again let
average computer users make their own tools. According to Throp, this type of
plain-language programming makes sense, particularly in an application that was
designed specifically for non-programmers. "I find the largest concern for
learners to be not with the conceptual hurdles involved in writing a program,
but with obscure and confusing syntax requirements. I would love to be able to
teach HyperTalk to my students, as a smooth on-road to more complex languages
like JavaScript, Java or C++." By putting the tools of creation into the hands
of the broader userbase, we would allow for the creation of ultra-specific
personalized apps that, aside from a few exceptions, don't exist today."
HyperTalk wasn't just easy, it was also fairly powerful. Complex object
structures could be built to handle complicated tasks, and the base language
could be expanded by a variety of available external commands and functions
(XCMDs and XFCNs, respectively), which were precursors to the modern plug-in.
But ultimately, HyperCard would disappear from Mac computers by the
mid-nineties, eclipsed by web browsers and other applications which it had
itself inspired. The last copy of HyperCard was sold by Apple in 2004. "One
thing that's changed in the intervening decades is that the hobbyist has
largely gone by the wayside. Now you're either a user or a full-fledged
developer, and the gulf is wider than ever," writes Peter Cohen. "There's
really nothing like it today, and I think the Mac is lesser for it."

[image 2][1][image 4][3][image 6][5]

Read more of this story[7] at Slashdot.
[image 8]
[image 10][9][image 12][11][image 14][13][image 16][15][image 17][image 18]

Links:
[1]: http://twitter.com/home?status=It's+Time+To+Revive+Hypercard%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fdevelopers.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F14%2F10%2F31%2F2358211%2F%3Futm_source%3Dtwitter%26utm_medium%3Dtwitter (link)
[2]: http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png (image)
[3]: http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdevelopers.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F14%2F10%2F31%2F2358211%2Fits-time-to-revive-hypercard%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook (link)
[4]: http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png (image)
[5]: http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://developers.slashdot.org/story/14/10/31/2358211/its-time-to-revive-hypercard?utm_source=slashdot&utm_medium=googleplus (link)
[6]: http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png (image)
[7]: http://developers.slashdot.org/story/14/10/31/2358211/its-time-to-revive-hypercard?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed (link)
[8]: http://slashdot.feedsportal.com/c/35028/f/647410/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/mf.gif (image)
[9]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/rc/1/rc.htm (link)
[10]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img (image)
[11]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/rc/2/rc.htm (link)
[12]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img (image)
[13]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/rc/3/rc.htm (link)
[14]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img (image)
[15]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/a2.htm (link)
[16]: http://da.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/a2.img (image)
[17]: http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/211597077209/u/49/f/647410/c/35028/s/400d6bc1/sc/4/a2t.img (image)
[18]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/bSXhCB2kcdI (image)

Back to comp.sys.mac.hypercard | Previous | Next | Find similar

Thread

[CM] Let's revive hypercard RS Wood  <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-11-03 20:25 +0000

csiph-web