ecsl@netbloc.com: 9587: RE: [ECS] Re: If, Then, Else, Etc

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RE: [ECS] Re: If, Then, Else, Etc
Doug Storey
Thu, 16 Nov 2000 14:45:12 -0600

Thu, 16 Nov 2000 14:45:12 -0600

I have been using ECS from day one (or two).
It is simply the best software I have ever bought
It Works
It is stable runs 7X24 at our house
It has a Great price
I Have been able to accomplish everything I tried to do using the existing
language/syntax.
I do program with VB , Unix Shell scripts and dapple in C BUT would HATE to
see the Language change from what it is.
Ask for enhancements if you need more. Since the package is under priced to
start with. One can pay for an enhancement and still be ahead.
I do agree that a different phone interface should be in the not to far
future.
Doug Storey
  -----Original Message-----
  From: David Kindred [mailto:david@retroscape.com]
  Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 12:56 PM
  To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
  Subject: RE: [ECS] Re: If, Then, Else, Etc


  Dan,

  There is, of course, the DDE interface to ECS. You are able to
monitor/change the states of items from outside of ECS. You could set up
item "triggers" within ECS which you could toggle from outside of the
application, and feed parameters through items via DDE.

  --David
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Dan Butterfield [mailto:dan@butterfields.net]
    Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 1:45 PM
    To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
    Subject: [ECS] Re: If, Then, Else, Etc


    J Peter Young said:
      For me, the biggest single improvement that could be made to ECS is to
replace the existing language with a real language - Java or VB.

      Please do not do this.
      The last thing I need is a language, I just want to automate my house.
      Got to work and pay the bills the rest of the time.
      How would a language improve anything? All I would get is the ability
to rewrite everything that already WORKS.

      The biggest improvement would be to enhance the interface to the user.
      Add more capabilities to the stuff for internet browser control.
      And support touch screens like Leopard.
    Well, even though I'm not an expert at it (yet!), I agree on not getting
rid of the ECS language - current users have too much invested in it.
However, what would be nice is an automation interface for a language like
Java / VB (VB has more easily accessible tools) that allows me to access
items / events inside ECS from an external program.  The current Java
interface is a start, but a previous query I made on this list indicated it
does not let you perform all the functions in ECS (I stopped investigating
it at that point, so I really don't know specifically how it's limited).

    What I want is something that would allow me to encapsulate ECS function
/ hardware support and access it from a language I'm familiar with.  I also
just want to automate my house; I don't want to learn a new (and somewhat
idiosyncratic) language.  Give me access from an external language, and
instantly I get a modern GUI environment for developing advanced
applications and user interfaces, plus programs that already can be
integrated to bunches of other systems (databases, hardware ECS doesn't
support, etc).

    I have no idea how difficult such an interface would be to develop;
since ECS already has a somewhat regular psuedo object-oriented model (e.g.
items and events), maybe a simple mapping could be developed that would give
an external program access to everything those perform.

    - Dan Butterfield  (dan@butterfields.net)

I have been using ECS from day one (or two).

It is simply the best software I have ever bought

It Works

It is stable runs 7X24 at our house

It has a Great price

I Have been able to accomplish everything I tried to do using the existing language/syntax.

I do program with VB , Unix Shell scripts and dapple in C BUT would HATE to see the Language change from what it is.

Ask for enhancements if you need more. Since the package is under priced to start with. One can pay for an enhancement and still be ahead.

I do agree that a different phone interface should be in the not to far future.

Doug Storey

-----Original Message-----
From: David Kindred [mailto:david@retroscape.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 12:56 PM
To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
Subject: RE: [ECS] Re: If, Then, Else, Etc

Dan,

There is, of course, the DDE interface to ECS. You are able to monitor/change the states of items from outside of ECS. You could set up item "triggers" within ECS which you could toggle from outside of the application, and feed parameters through items via DDE.

--David

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Butterfield [mailto:dan@butterfields.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 1:45 PM
To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
Subject: [ECS] Re: If, Then, Else, Etc

J Peter Young said:

For me, the biggest single improvement that could be made to ECS is to replace the existing language with a real language - Java or VB.

Please do not do this.

The last thing I need is a language, I just want to automate my house.

Got to work and pay the bills the rest of the time.

How would a language improve anything? All I would get is the ability to rewrite everything that already WORKS.

The biggest improvement would be to enhance the interface to the user.

Add more capabilities to the stuff for internet browser control.

And support touch screens like Leopard.

Well, even though I'm not an expert at it (yet!), I agree on not getting rid of the ECS language - current users have too much invested in it. However, what would be nice is an automation interface for a language like Java / VB (VB has more easily accessible tools) that allows me to access items / events inside ECS from an external program. The current Java interface is a start, but a previous query I made on this list indicated it does not let you perform all the functions in ECS (I stopped investigating it at that point, so I really don't know specifically how it's limited).

What I want is something that would allow me to encapsulate ECS function / hardware support and access it from a language I'm familiar with. I also just want to automate my house; I don't want to learn a new (and somewhat idiosyncratic) language. Give me access from an external language, and instantly I get a modern GUI environment for developing advanced applications and user interfaces, plus programs that already can be integrated to bunches of other systems (databases, hardware ECS doesn't support, etc).

I have no idea how difficult such an interface would be to develop; since ECS already has a somewhat regular psuedo object-oriented model (e.g. items and events), maybe a simple mapping could be developed that would give an external program access to everything those perform.

- Dan Butterfield (dan@butterfields.net)