Symantec's VisualCafé
I half-thought about making this a review, but I'm so fed up with the
little quirks and flat out bugginess of VisualCafé
that I'm giving upon any pretense of objectivity. Why? 'Cause this program
is just plain crappy.
What's wrong. A whole fucking lot. Let's start with the main button bar. WARNING: the image is 1024 pixels wide. You'll
understand why when you look at it. What's the deal with all those
damn buttons?! I'm glad my monitor is large enough that I can set
it to 1024x768 and not have my eyeballs drip out of their sockets
at the end of the day. Yes, some of those sets of buttons are optional,
and you can remove them if you'd like to. Then you have the option of
using the handy keyboard shortcuts, most of which, like Ctrl-Shift-D
(Variables) are as convenient as they are memorable (how the fuck do
I remember 'D' is 'Variables?!). Or you can try to find your choice
in the pull down menus, which is what I've ended up doing.
If I'll allow myself a little digression from the main topic, the whole
button bar concept has gotten way out of hand. It started as a good idea,
partially because it all still made sense. The little
disk meant 'save'. The little blank piece of paper meant 'new file'.
But how the hell am I supposed to know that 
means 'Variables'? The
truth is, I'm not. Someone (I prefer to think it was Microsoft, because
it stinks of their thinking), came up with the idea that if you leave
the mouse cursor hanging over a button for a second, a little balloon
pops up, and tells you what the button purports to be. So now everything
from a development environment to a word processor has these little
buttons absolutely falling off the menu, with their users squinting
at their monitors, slowly drifting the pointer along the rows of
icons, trying to just find the spell checker. The KISS principle of
user interface has been kidney-punched and left for dead by the side
of the road a few miles (and years) back.
But back to VisualCafé (which is going to be abbreviated as VC from
now on, since that é is getting on my nerves).
The thing that, on first blush, makes VC seem so neat is that it has a
visual environment for Java screen layout. Want a textfield? Just plop
one on the screen, and massage its properties until it fits in like it
should. Now, here's where things go sour. The project viewer has 3
views. Objects, Packages, and Files. Files and Objects *should* show
the same file listing. 99% of the time, they do. However, you can only
call up the visual editor from the Objects window. Today, I added a new
file to the project, dabbled around in the code for a while, and realized
I needed to add a field. So I went to the Objects window and . . . the
file isn't there. At all! Check the Files window. Yup. There it is.
(side note: for no good reason, the files in the Objects and Files window
aren't displayed in any order I can decipher, let alone alphabetically, while
they are in alphabetical order in the useless Packages window)
I remove the file from the project, then re-add it. Same thing. Lest
you get the wrong idea here, VC is reputed to be the
"leader" in Java IDEs. And since it is a developer's tool,
it's not exactly priced to fly off the shelves of the local
WaldenSoft, or anything. The exact figure seems to fluctuate, but
it's around $700 per license. And it can't always add files to a
project properly?! So, I'm stuck adding the field by hand, in the
code. Just as if I was using DOS edit, and not some fancy-schmancy
several hundred dollar package that advertises itself as being
"the most user-friendly and productive Java and database
development environment available."
What really gets me is that I thought, when I first started to use VC,
and hadn't yet begun the Death of a Thousand Bugs, that this program
might be what saves Symantec. What else do they make? They bought
Norton Utilities, and promptly ran it into the ground. I don't know
anyone who uses Norton anymore, which is something I never thought I'd
say. The rest of their products? Disk cloning software? File sharing?
Web page development software? For a while there, they made the leading
IDE for the Mac (THINK C). Then Apple transitioned to the PowerPC from
the 68K chips, Symantec fell asleep at the wheel, and their business
walked over to Metrowerks CodeWarrior, which is now
all that anyone uses for Mac development.
What gets me overall is that this sort of shitty software even made it
out Symantec's doors. They had to know that these persistent and
incredibly annoying bugs existed, but they knew that people have
accepted that, in essence, most programs are crap. If a program crashes,
or doesn't do what it says it'll do, while they might get irritable
about it, they wouldn't dream of returning it. And who can blame them?
Have you really looked at the license agreements that come with these
software packages? Here's an excerpt of one I pulled off my hard drive,
and formatted so it reads better than I left it in ALL CAPS. It's all
pretty eye-popping, but I italicized the especially interesting bits,
if you just want to skim it. The name of the company has been removed
just so no one thinks I'm singling anyone out. ;-)
This software and accompanying written materials (including instructions for use) are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Further, (COMPANY) does not warrant, guarantee, or make any representations regarding the use, or the results of use, of the software or written materials in terms of correctness, accuracy, reliability, currentness, or otherwise. The entire risk as to the results and performance of the software is assumed by you. If the software or written materials are defective you, and not (COMPANY) or its dealers, distributors, agents, or employees, assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction.
HUH?! Lemme get this straight, I buy software from this multi-million
(billion?) dollar company, and your lawyers won't even let you say
that IT WORKS?! And if it spins out and e-mails my Quicken data to
the Hizbollah, I can't even get pissed at you?! I wouldn't let any
other business in the world try to foist this nonsense off on me, but
I get it from every corner in the software world! Imagine seeing
that kind of bullshit on a car warranty. Or a stereo. Christ on
a crutch, I can get a more binding warranty on a $10 Walkman that was
probably assembled in a Third World sweatshop by a 9 year old, working
for 60¢ an hour, so he can help to feed his family. The people
writing this software are supposed to be professionals, in action
if not in person.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go spend a couple hours on hold
waiting to speak to a Symantec tech support . . .