| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 13 Dec 2005 : 17:57:20
Hi Guys,
I write this topic to know your opinion about .NET technology, because I want to switch to this for future releases of XMM.
XMM is coded in VB6, as you know this language is no longer supported by Microsoft. Even if softwares writed in VB6 will continue to work also in future Windows Releases, it's recommended to "switch" to latest .NET technology, for be sure that XMM will continue to work without problems also in the future years.
What do you think about this? I am making some tests these days to find possible problems in the conversion.
If I will start the conversion, the main window layout can change a bit, but not so much. I want better implement TV Series support, different from movies, and I want build a completely new database structure to solve old XMM know problems.
Please write here your ideas, suggestions and...critics!
Thank you,
Alessio
PS: Do you already has .NET framework in your PCs? have you got any problems? |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 11 Jan 2006 : 19:42:53
OK, I will try to do that 
Thank you!
Alessio |
| emonsalve |
Posted - 11 Jan 2006 : 18:10:20
Alessio, Thanks for keeping updated XMM. I would just suggest that 'customers fields' could be exported this time without anything else that XMM. |
| themadbomber |
Posted - 09 Jan 2006 : 16:43:29
Alessio,
The program is fantastic! Anything that you could do to make it better would be fully supported. Sorry, but I'm unable to help you with the technical aspect of the transition.
Thanks-
~(")~ the mad bomber ~(")~ |
| bsb |
Posted - 29 Dec 2005 : 05:44:01
Txs Alessio for the efforts on XMM. I see the need to switch to .NET. We like it or not, the future is there. Lately, I've been working on small projects about coding frontend apps using VB.NET and Access DBs. I do believe that XMM will become faster. But be carefull, there're many traps and some tricky bugs in .NET. As some say: "Measure twice then cut once!". Hopefully, you're gonna keep the mdb format because sometimes I use Access to apply mass changes to some fields or may be you can have a converter included to convert the db back and forth. I think the interface needs refinment towards more user friendly and clean access to some features like allowing to download the titles info from the Internet right after adding mass titles instead trying to find all added titles later again. Selecting easier more than one title from the lists will help a lot. A couple of more things I want to mension: more flexible search through more fields including custom ones. For ex. if I search for DVD-R it gives me also DVD-RW. I like to be able to change the media icon for a title manualy if necessary, because now if I type DVD-R as a media, I loose the DVD icon and may be it will be fun if everybody can create and implement their own media icons. So, the bottom line is, if you decide to switch to .NET, it's the time now to think about changes in the interface and how to speed up the access without loosing the flexibility. At the end, the choice is yours. Txs
"The more you know...the more you think you don't know anything (especially in forums)!!!" |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 21 Dec 2005 : 22:59:18
Hi,
Yes, there are problems by putting online informations like plot, but for imformations like director, actors and genre etc.. there should be not problems. People put online their collection just for let their friends look at it.
About .NET, it's compatible with all windows from 98.
Alessio |
| crissand |
Posted - 21 Dec 2005 : 20:15:46
I'm afraid the information from XMM cannot be published on other sites, being copyrighted. As you all know, the info about the movies is "extracted" from copyrighted webpages and cannot be published again on others.
Now, about the software.
Since there are a lot of Windows 9x in the world, the best solution is to provide two versions, a .net and a VB6 version. Or just use VB6 for future improvement, working in the same time to a .net version.
If you want to go to .Net, think about using a xml database, and not Access. The conversion is simple, there is software that does just that. |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 18 Dec 2005 : 11:04:48
Thank you very much for your words, I am really happy when people like XMM so much.
I am trying to add in the new generation of XMM the support for different databases, like SQLServer, Access (native) and others, I hope to find the right way for do this 
Alessio |
| cstrauch |
Posted - 18 Dec 2005 : 05:56:30
Alessio,
The improved support for series will really be welcomed...
On the (future) new version, one thing I would like to see was a support for a SQL database. It would be nice if I could store all my data on my MySQL server, way more robust the Access...
XMM is a wonderful software, and I can't imagine how I would manage my movie collection without it. Thanks!
CStrauch |
| nicor |
Posted - 17 Dec 2005 : 03:36:20
Dear Alessio,
I am pretty much new of the forum even if I have been using an old version of XMM for a long time. Recently I decided you deserve the small fee requested for the newest version.
I found the new version very complete and personally I think that many developers would just leave it as it is and stop spending time to fix what I consider to be minor issues.
I find the interface very complete, maybe too complete. As you mentioned I would encourage you to semplify it, if possible.
A second suggestion is that I would enlarge the possibilities of the Media Center interface. I can see some options are under construction. I think it would be useful a settings panel where the interface could be customized. This is how I wish it was:
main menu:
- show all movies
by selecting this there would be a page with an alphabet on top and by selectin a letter all the movies with title starting with that letter should be displayed. By selecting a movie a few information should be displayed. Poster, year, actors, director and summary. There should be also an option to play the movie which of course should be doubled or triplicate in case of multiple files (i.e. start I part, start II part...)
- show all tv series
inside this menu there should be a list of tv series and when seclecting one there should be the list of episodes that could be played by selecting one
- show movies by actor
same as show all movies, with alphabet but of course the list is ordered based on actors.
- options
possibility to customize these menus with different search options... to be determined
This is all I could think about for now, sorry for the long post and please feel free to drop me an email if something is not clear.
Nico
PS: Oh one more thing. I don't know if it's me, but I just have an hard time importing info from websites. Many italian script just don't work, many have a lot of junk in some fields (for instance the actor list is a mess sometimes). This is how I do things now: first import through imdb which is the most complete. Than chose an italian script and overwrite the few italian information I can find. The hardest part is usually to find a cover. imdb provides usually about 10 low quality pictures. I wonder if other people have a better procedure.
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| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 16 Dec 2005 : 10:47:01
Thank you Avogel for the links, I will deeply take a look at it
To Jamestan: the left panel will be resizable, and I will cut off some others things. I will think also to a fullscreen version, maybe for people that you XMM in the TV.
Alessio |
| Avogel |
Posted - 16 Dec 2005 : 05:02:51
Well me code Delphi and C++/C# but this may come handy:
Books:
Upgrading Microsoft® Visual Basic® 6.0 to Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
Tools:
http://www.vbdotnetheaven.com/Code/Apr2003/006.asp
Articles:
http://www.thescarms.com/VBasic/VB6vsVBNet.asp
http://www.vbdotnetheaven.com/Code/May2004/CompareVB6AndNetGAG.asp
http://www.vbdotnetheaven.com/Code/May2004/vb6tovbnet.asp
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/9/7/3979eefc-92a0-4d63-8b64-3836ee2289fc/MAKINGTHEMOVE/Demos.zip
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/9/7/3979eefc-92a0-4d63-8b64-3836ee2289fc/MAKINGTHEMOVE/MAKINGTHEMOVE.ppt
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/9/7/3979eefc-92a0-4d63-8b64-3836ee2289fc/MAKINGTHEMOVE/Media.zip
Btw register in forum worked but got this error:
Server object error 'ASP 0177 : 800401f3'
Server.CreateObject Failed
/forum/inc_mail.asp, line 97
800401f3
AND
compare of email is case sensitive, why :P |
| jamestan |
Posted - 16 Dec 2005 : 02:32:55
Alessio, moving to .net is fine. If that makes your maintenance easier.
Whatever it is, these are couples of suggestion :
1. Make the big buttons and status bar etc dockable. This allows some fields like plot to be widden and bigger to see.
2. Make the left panel resizable and retractable - this allow the movie panel to be expanded as big as possible.
3. Provide FULL SCREEN MODE - so that big buttons are hidden, Active Database bar and status bar and "Powerful Movie Database Manager ..." (we all know it is powerful :-)) can be hidden.
Great software again ! I have been using it ever since 2001 and love it.
James |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 15 Dec 2005 : 14:44:37
I want rewrite the code of XMM because is not so "good written". When I have start it I was a newbie in VB6, so there are a lot of things to correct. Add features now to XMM is easy, yes, but will be more easy in .NET for future releases.
The first thing to do is the interface, I need to change something for make it more "user-friendly", even if it's not so easy. The main structure will be the same (moviecars, trees etc...) but I need to build a more powerful grid.
Also the Movie's add and Script's window must be improved, too much people find hard download information from internet.
The latest thing is the TV Series support: only XMM can import all episodes from internet, but XMM was born to manage movies, so for TV series I must write a new window layout.
Alessio
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| Ludes |
Posted - 15 Dec 2005 : 08:21:28
Hi Alessio,
As a (somewhat hardcore) software developer, I can tell you that most of the posts here have been giving you bum advice.
First of all, Microsoft no longer supports the VB6 DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT; they still support the VB6 runtime environment, and probably will continue to do so for several years (in the same way that they still support 16-bit windows apps on Windows XP). Which basically means that unless you find a bug in the VB6 compiler, you can continue writing VB6 apps for a very, very long time.
My advice would be to continue using VB6 as long as it makes sense to do so. If you want to add some feature to XMM that would be easier to do in VB.NET, then switch to VB.NET. If switching to VB.NET would reduce the size of download file, then switch. In other words, unless there's some compelling reason to switch, don't. To switch earlier than that would be a needless waste of time and effort, which could be better spent improving the program (not that it really needs any improvement ;) ).
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| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 14 Dec 2005 : 21:43:56
Mmmm, I dont know yet if will be possible add movie with just right-click in explorer, but I am optimistic, because .NET is really the best technology around. I have choose this platform because I know it and I have already much experience in VB, changing platform will cost me too much time.
Alessio |
| rubennoorderijk |
Posted - 14 Dec 2005 : 21:37:41
Hi Alessio,
Nice to see the consideration to swith to .NET.
I have used .NET for some time now and find it more logical than previous versions.
My website has been converted from plain html to ASP.NET.
It took some time, but at the end it was rewarding.
The logical step for VB6 would be VB.NET, but as someone else pointed out, C# is much more flexibel and powerfull.
I haven't mastered both .NET languages well enough to help you out (sorry).
The benefits .NET will bring are worth considering the swith.
Microsoft is well aware of the importance of .NET, that I doubt that they will move on to another programming language.
More programming languages are converted to (Microsofts) .NET standards, showing just how much they want to keep it going.
Re-writing all the code will be tough, but just a my website, the reward is worth it.
Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Ruben |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 14 Dec 2005 : 21:24:05
Mmmm, I dont know yet if will be possible add movie with just right-click in explorer, but I am optimistic, because .NET is really the best technology around. I have choose this platform because I know it and I have already much experience in VB, changing platform will cost me too much time.
Alessio |
| jwhoopi |
Posted - 14 Dec 2005 : 20:44:08
I for one have not yet seen an app that .not didn't mess up, but if anyone can, I'm sure it is alessio;-)
While .net has all those little bells and whistles that at first, appear to make things easier, I would like you to at least consider writing it in something a little less MS-centric and more platform independent. I'm not really anti-MS, but they have no incentive to keep going on other, or old platforms once they have something new for you to buy. As such, it won;t be long before you have to migrate from .net to .whatevercanmakeBillmore$
But whatever you do will probably be fine. . .you have done a great job thus far.
PS. Will .net make it possible to add a right click context menu in explorer to add movies to the database? That would be sooo nice. . . |
| Alessio Viti |
Posted - 14 Dec 2005 : 16:52:48
Yes, the work to do is really much, because I must re-write all code in .NET, but I think that will be funny
The biggest work will be the Script Engine, I want change it for add more powerful features, so will be not easy.
Alessio |
| jadawin1 |
Posted - 14 Dec 2005 : 16:23:24
Sounds good to me, but also sounds like a LOT of work. XMM is one great piece of work, the best movie manager I have used in 15 years and believe me I have used a bunch. I would surely hate to see such a fine piece of software go belly up.
I for one REALLY appreciate the work you have done in the past and hopefully will continue to do in the future. Please Please continue to keep this GREAT piece of software going!!!! |
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