Re: some demonstrations no longer work right in version 8
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg116033] Re: some demonstrations no longer work right in version 8
- From: Daniel Lichtblau <danl at wolfram.com>
- Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:42:16 -0500 (EST)
Nasser M. Abbasi wrote: > Since I hava installed V8, when I go to Wolfram > demonstration web page, and click on a dome to > download, I noticed now it opens directly inside the > web browser. Not sure how and why this happes, Has to do with how version 8 was installed. Default, I think (on Windows and Mac platforms) is to have at least some things (like .nbp files you get from Demonstrations web pages) open in the browser plugin. > But > besides this, the problem is some demos that used > to work OK with V7, no longer work ok in V8. > > Is anyone at WRI looking at this problem? Yes. We are in the process of rebuilding all published Demonstrations in version 8. Most seem to work. Exceptions we are aware of number in the dozens at most. > Since there is no process setup for someone to make > changes to the demo from outside once it is submitted > and put on Wolfram demo website, You bring up a festering embarrassment. The Demonstrations Authoring Area is not adequate to the task. I am ever hopeful we will get this addressed in the next year or so. meanwhile, you can in fact access and change your Demonstration. On its web page to the lower right there is a Contribute section. Click on the link "Make a new version of this Demonstration". You can either resubmit it from your author page for that Demosntration, or send it directly to any of the various people you've dealt with from the Demonstrations Team. No need to tell me how bad a process this is. It should all just be enabled from the Authoring Area. Some day... > I am not sure who is > supposed to be fixing these things to make the demos work > OK in V8 and I hope also stay working ok in V7 player. We'll end up fixing some to work in version 8 but ultimately it will more likely be the authors who bear the brunt. If problematic areas are where we expect, then we should be able to provide sensible guidelines for migrating problematic code from earlier versions to version 8. Maintaining them to work in 8 as well as 7 is usually possible, but not likely to be worth the trouble and code bloat. Remember, there will be a new free Player. Our goal is to have all, or nearly all, Demonstrations working in that. > For example, I downloaded one of my demos, and when > I open it in V7, it works ok as it was before, But in V8, I > now get errors. (syntax error, etc.. when trying different options. > I assume may be due to API changes in Mathematica functions > used by the demo? > > There are number of other demos with such problems. > > thanks > --Naser I cannot comment without seeing the Demonstration(s) in question. Certainly some options and the like may have changed. While nobody likes for that to happen, there are cases where we really cannot move forward without addressing problematic design. I'm just happy this does not happen more frequently. Daniel Lichtblau Wolfram Research