CONCURRENT BARE-BONES 'ATTACH'-ONLY STICKIES (STICK)

[SPOOK]

'Stick' would only contain the minimal (ATTACH) commands and run concurrent with the regular 'Stickies' program.

Runs as 'Portable' only. (Stand Alone)

Would not need:

1  Manage Stickies... 
2  Backup
3  Friends
4  Stacks
5  Import from file
6  Move data location
7  Restore
8  Set all
9  etc...

Would need: 

'ATTACH' and Attach Dialog Box and Auto-Attach to current active Window upon selecting 'New Stick'. ('Only if visible' = Default.) 

Plus

1  To run concurrent with the regular 'Stickies' program.
2  Different color Task-Bar Icon. 
3  'CLOSE' (Closes and writes .rtf to 'Closed' Folder.)
4  Real-Time Read/Write to HDD at Creation/Close/Edit/etc. (Focus read from HDD, Modify > No-Focus write to HDD) (Will be current to all 'Users'.)
5  All commands currently in Body-Right-Click.
6  Minimal commands in Title-Bar Right-Click:

    Attach

    Save as...
    Print...
    
    Rolled up 
    Scrollbar
    Solo

    Set title... 
    Set colour...  
    Set skin...

    Properties...

Support:

1  Bare-Bones 'Skinner' ('SkinIT') program to create application specific 'Stick' Skins. (Trim number of 'Actions' to minimal, a 'Skinner' Extreme-Lite.) 

ALTERNATE (Preferred)

'SkinIT' and able to:

2a Utilize current 'Skinner' program to create application specific 'Stick' Skins by - i.e. Making all Elements/Actions (Buttons, Indicators, etc.) that do not apply to 'Stick' some other color.

2b Cleverly create the 'Stick' .exe to be able to use any current .ssk. If a Command that is not implemented is selected it will just Dead-Head.

[SPOOK]

NOTES: 

Maybe just 'remark' out all the commands in the current Stickies.exe that don't apply to 'Stick',  Setup new a mutex and rename Stickies.exe to Stick.exe, utilize all the same Options, etc. dialog-boxes, etc. with the same 'some other color' idea of Options that don't apply and will just Dead-Head when selected.

Reconfigure to Real-Time Read/Write to HDD at Creation/Close/Edit/etc. (Focus read from HDD, Modify > No-Focus write to HDD)

RLD

[SPOOK]

Or forget the colour coding and just let them all Dead-Head, Lets just get this thing Out with Real-Time Read/Write to HDD for now. :)

[AdminAdmin]

I'm not sure why you'd not instead use the existing code to do this, and simply ignore the features you don't want to use?

I'm also concerned that real-time writing to the disk could be unfriendly.  If the content file was written every time the user pressed a key, that's a good deal of disk activity which isn't necessary, and which may get in the way of smooth operation if the disk didn't respond instantly.

It sounds like you're trying to solve a problem with synchronisation between instances - is that what you're thinking about?

Tom

[SPOOK]

Thank you for the response.

I'll see if I can do this.

1 - Yes, Manually controlled synchronization between instances for different Users loading from same .exe. If you have another way to accomplish that would be great... BUT... Must run as different .exe - Concurrent with Stickies.exe. (Vital/Essential)

2 - Can't use the existing code. 

The same Stickies.exe program when run by 2 different Users on the same computer does not always acknowledge (show) a new Attached Stickie by the other User. (This would work (not work) the same on a intra-organizational network.)

When the Second User loads the Stickies.exe program after the First User has attached a Stickie sometimes there are Orphans. (This would work (not work) the same on a intra-organizational network.)

3 - No excessive disk activity.

The content file would not be written every time the user pressed a key. The Focus/No-Focus are only done by a Mouse - not a keyboard. (One Click each per Edit Session, 2 clicks total.)

'(Focus read from HDD, Modify > No-Focus write to HDD)'

Also a 'Update' Button in the Task-Bar Right-Click 'Stick' Icon would be needed. When selected will show all 'Stick'(s) added by others but not presented in current active windows sense current onscreen session, and update edits by others sense current onscreen session.

==========================================

SCENARIO/NARRATIVE 

SETTING:

- Company with several Departments with Supervisor for each Department and a Company Manager. 
- All Supervisors and Company Manager have a computer on network. 
- Network Server has a 'User' setup for each Department Supervisor and Company Manager. 
- Network Server has 'Stick.exe'.
- Each User has 'Stickies.exe' loaded on there individual computers - from there individual computers.
- Each User has 'Stick.exe' loaded on there individual computers - from the Network Server
- Company makes Toilet Seats
- Sales just got a Order for One White Toilet Seat for the Space Shuttle and NASA will pay $1,000,000 if delivered by tomorrow.

Sales writes a 'Order' to Fast-Track one white Toilet Seat and sends Order to all via Distribution List.

Inventory gets order flagged as Fast-Track,opens the order, and Inventory Attaches a 'Stick' to order - not-available, none in Inventory.

The manager gets order flagged as Fast-Track, opens the order and sees the Attached 'Stick' from Inventory, adds text to the  Attached 'Stick', "Not to worry I have a new one at home. Tell Shipping and receiving to pick it up at my home and deliver it to NASA." > No-Focus write to HDD 

HERE'S THE MAGIC

Inventory - Mouse Clicks (Focus) the Attached 'Stick' to see if there are any up-dated info. Sees managers added text to his 'Stick' -> The White Toilet Seat is delivered to NASA. 

Inventory opens regular 'Stickie' from 'Stickies.exe' on his individual computer and writes a note to himself, "Keep 100 white Toilet Seats on hand in Inventory", and Attaches it to Order for 'One White Toilet Seat for the Space Shuttle' for his reference only. 

NOTE: Will work the same if 'Stickies.exe' loaded on there individual computers from the Network Server but will not be current to all 'Users'.

==========================================
CONCLUSION

'Attach' is probably the most powerful and useful action in Stickies, and is currently is Run-away popular for programs that only Attach notes.

Therefore, Needs to be Portable, Needs to be Bare-Bones, Needs to only have 2 primary actions > 'Attach' and Update Attachment(s) across Users. (None now keep Attachments Updated across Users.)

1 User = Run Stickies.exe only.

2+ Users = Run Stick.exe, (For all to see, Attachments, edits, etc.) and Run Stickies.exe. (For only you to see your personal, Attachments, edits, etc.) Stick.exe and Stickies.exe run concurrently on same computer.

Stickies.exe utilizes the network to Send/Receive Stickies to other Users. 
Stick.exe does not need network to Send/Receive Stickies to other Users and should not be implemented in Stick.exe.

RLD

[AdminAdmin]

I think I understand what you mean.  It sounds like a peer-to-peer messaging system, in which all messages appear on all machines at once, and can be edited by any of the users who have the content on their screen.

There would need to be some careful design in any such code which ensured that if two users made changes at once, nothing was lost.  I'd actually use something like a SQLITE database which would handle the possible contention better than the file system.  I've been working with SQLITE recently and it's really nifty.

In your use case, if there was to be any development taking place, would it not make better sense for that development to be carried out on the ordering system itself?  If all users are already using the same shared database application, I'd suggest that notes applied to orders are best stored with that order.

A third party app would potentially be more flexible in that it could work with multiple systems I appreciate, but at the same time it would only work with systems that support that third party association.  I've discussed how to get stickies attached to a number of systems in the past (online trading, DJ software, and a warehouse system) but as they don't expose unique windows, Stickies can't tell when the right content is on the screen, or where it is on the screen.

Tom

[SPOOK]

Yup, 'all messages appear on all machines at once, [When the Active Window is open on the screen on the particular computer and has 'Stick'(s) Attached] and can be edited by any of the users who have the content on their screen.' 

SQLITE database sounds like the prefect engine to accomplish what we need to do. (Would take some World-Class Programming though. )  

No need to worry about developing for i.e. "ordering system itself" or any other specific intra-organizational-department driver/dependent-actions/Documents. Just need to Attach 'Stick'(s) to any intra-organizational Document that needs it.

Yup... 'third party apps that' Hi-Jack the Windows Operating System for themselves are just out of luck... to bad for them. (Unless they want to pay big-bucks to have your staff build one for there specific application software. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Attached 'Stick' would need to look different from a 'Stickie', so the user can tell which ones are his personal notes and which ones are for anyone to see that opens the document. Could be a different type of Skin that only has the Attach Command, (not the extras - Alarm, Recurring, Sleep, etc.) or some kind of flag on the Skin when it is attached from 'Stick'.

Would be Easy to set-up as Red 'Stick'(s) denote 'Problem', Green  'Stick'(s) denote 'Financial/Money', Gold  'Stick'(s) denote 'Administration', Lavender  'Stick'(s) denote 'In-House Consultants', Blue  'Stick'(s) denote 'Sales', Purple  'Stick'(s) denote 'Manufacturing', etc. (Or any other desired color coding)

And possibly Utilize 'SkinIT'  or use the 'FFF PERSONALIZE' in the Skinner Forum to put the Name of the Department/Person in the Title-Bar.

===========================================================

I forgot to ask, will 'Stick' with 'SQLITE database' Attach to all the things the current 'Stickies' program does?

There always is the possibility of utilizing the current Stickies as I outlined in my first post:
---------------------------------------
"Stick' would only contain the minimal (ATTACH) commands and run concurrent with the regular 'Stickies' program.

Runs as 'Portable' only. (Stand Alone)

Would not need:

1  Manage Stickies... 
2  Backup
3  Friends
4  Stacks
5  Import from file
6  Move data location
7  Restore
8  Set all
9  etc...

Would need: 

'ATTACH' and Attach Dialog Box and Auto-Attach to current active Window upon selecting 'New Stick'. ('Only if visible' = Default.) 

Plus

1  To run concurrent with the regular 'Stickies' program.
2  Different color Task-Bar Icon. 
3  'CLOSE' (Closes and writes .rtf to 'Closed' Folder.)
4  Real-Time Read/Write to HDD at Creation/Close/Edit/etc. >NOT NEEDED >>SIMULTANEOUS EDITS COULD BE HANDLED WITH AUTO-LOCK 
5  All commands currently in Body-Right-Click.
6  Minimal commands in Title-Bar Right-Click:

    Attach

    Save as...
    Print...
    
    Rolled up 
    Scrollbar
    Solo

    Set title... 
    Set colour...  
    Set skin...

    Properties..."
---------------------------------------------------
We know it works sometimes, we just need to figure out why: (Following From Post above)

"The same Stickies.exe program when run by 2 different Users on the same computer does not always acknowledge (show) a new Attached Stickie by the other User. (This would work (not work) the same on a intra-organizational network.)

When the Second User loads the Stickies.exe program after the First User has attached a Stickie sometimes there are Orphans. (This would work (not work) the same on a intra-organizational network.)"

========================================
Also, for now, could I get a 'Stickies.exe' (I can rename to 'Stick.exe) that will run Concurrent with another Portable 'Stickies.exe', or can you tell me how to run Concurrent?

RLD

[AdminAdmin]

There's no way to disable the block on running two instances at once at the moment, although I could put you together a build in which you can do that with a command line parameter, if you'd like?

If you want to change the tray icon though you can do that now, see the help file page "Miscellaneous Notes" for how to do that.

Tom

[SPOOK]

Thank you for responding.

A build with a command line parameter would work great, I will check daily (Or my phone will 'Notify me when a reply is posted') for it and post a thread to you when I have downloaded and verified it loads.

Thank you very much.

RLD

[AdminAdmin]

Try this build: http://www.zhornsoftware.co.uk/stickies/stickiesForSpook.zip

You'll need to use the command line parameter -allowmultiple with it, but I suggest you do so with a different tray icon as I suggested so that you can better distinguish between the two (or more) instances.  Don't start to instances looking at the same data directory as you'll end up with data corruption.  

I'd also be wary about using the build for production data, as I've got the code "up on the blocks" at the moment as I make some quite fundamental changes to the back end.  The code should be ok, but it's not been as tested as I'd usually prefer.

Tom

[SPOOK]

I think it is important that the first release of Stick not contain Alarm and Sleep/Recurring.

These are mini-time bombs.

Stick would NOT contain Alarm and Sleep/Recurring and therefor would NOT allow the Lower level Positions in the Organization to attach Sticks with Alarm and Sleep/Recurring to items of Higher Level Application/Positions. (I.e. Stick = Up, (Supervisor only) Lateral or Down on the Organization Chart.) 

The Systems Administrator will also set the Levels of access from the Server utilizing Stick.

Thanks,
Spook

P.S. Stick Rel 0.00 is working like a Champ. 

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