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Subject: 
Re: Mindstorms spirit.ocx programming = RCX ASM coding?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Thu, 23 Dec 1999 07:55:36 GMT
Viewed: 
3162 times
  
In lugnet.robotics, Dave Baum writes:
> In article <Fn6B2x.6Az@lugnet.com>, "Ian Warfield" <ipw47@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > While I'll concede that NQC is more understandable in its use of variable
> > management and mathematical notation, the Spirit OCX is more useful to me
> > because of its Windows VB implementation.  I can easily write GUIs and real-
> > time interfaces with my robots.  And it's definitely the way to go if you're
> > using the computer as a "host station" to control a roving RCX.  Plus - no
> > offense to Dave or anything - I feel a little more comfortable using the
> > Spirit SDK since it's "LEGO sanctioned".  (Plus you get this neat
> > little pamphlet explaining the ins and outs of the RCX and the Spirit
> > language, which is fun to read.)
> 
> 
> My biggest gripe about spirit is that it is only available for Win32.  If
> it had also been available on Mac and Linux I would've layered NQC on top
> of it and never had to create a non "LEGO sanctioned" interface to the
> RCX.  Actually, TLG now appears to acknowledge NQC as a legitimate way to
> develop for the RCX - at least that's how I interpret their change to
> allow NQC programs to be directly uploaded to www.legomindstorms.com.

Certainly; and it's in their best interest, too.  And anything that elicits
formal recognition from LEGO - even if in a slightly backhanded way like this -
is worthy of respect, given their past and as-yet-still-current policy of not
acknowledging third-party contributions.

> Spirit has a definite advantage when you're building something where
> part will run on the host computer and part will run on the RCX.  NQC is
> really only intended to craft software to run on the RCX itself.

Yeah, but NQC is still a great language, and you've obviously put a lot of
hard work into it.  There has been nothing but praise for NQC everywhere you
look, so I'm certainly not going to crash the party.

> Bottom line: I'm all for a variety of tools.  The "best" tool is the one
> that fits comfortably in the hand of its user and is effective for present
> task.  Given the variation of both tasks and hands, its unlikely that any
> single tool will be perfect for everything.

Couldn't have said it better. :)


And sorry about the repetitive post - I didn't realize until after I'd written
it that you'd already written a separate reply.

-- Ian



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Mindstorms spirit.ocx programming = RCX ASM coding?
 
(...) My biggest gripe about spirit is that it is only available for Win32. If it had also been available on Mac and Linux I would've layered NQC on top of it and never had to create a non "LEGO sanctioned" interface to the RCX. Actually, TLG now (...) (27 years ago, 23-Dec-99, to lugnet.robotics)

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