To build Goldenseal Pro for Windows, we use MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes). It does not include any table classes, but several other developers have written code for spreadsheet-like grids of text. After a few days of review, we chose one of the simplest. It’s basic, but easy to understand. Right now, our staff is gradually adapting it for our breakdown tables.
Step-by-step is the most productive way to get stuff working, when working with a new code library. We add something small, make sure it works, then proceed to the next step. If something goes wrong, just revert and try again. Right now our app shows an empty table, and we’re gradually filling it in.
I must say, that kind of steady, incremental progress is much more satisfying than what we experienced on the Mac version. Their NSTableView class seemed great, with many built-in features. But the charm soon wore off as we bogged down in the process of actually using it. Too many dead ends and baffling errors.
Fortunately, there was one good thing that came from the Mac work. Some of the table interface never worked correctly, so we had to redesign it entirely. Instead of actions inside the table cells, it now uses buttons to add and delete rows, and pop-up data entry windows instead of editable table cells. That approach is easier to use for beginners, so we probably will use it for the Windows version also.
Dennis Kolva
Programming Director
TurtleSoft.com
