Would you have used a Windows Installer for Xith?

[William Denniss]

When you installed Xith3D and compiled your first application, would you have used a Windows Installer if it existed, and would you have preferred to install it that way?

Such an installer would place the libraries in their correct locations.

Of course - you don't need to do this to compile and run xith3d apps - but it removes several hundred characters from the commands.

NOTE:  For this survey, I am talking about new Xith3D developers here and not end-users (this is another debate if you like).

Will.

[swpalmer]

Why only Windows? Why not a Java installer?  Like InstallAnywhere for example.

[SpuTTer]

Call me anal or whatever, but I like to have full control over where my jars are going. I dont think I would have used the installer.

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[William Denniss]

swpalmer,

The idea of the windows installer is to make it easier to setup the Xith3D development environment in windows.  It's not a hard task on any OS - but I've been told that some windows developers can be more lazy than others and just want a turnkey solution.

Personally I don't develop Xith3D in windows so I wouldn't have used it even if one had existed.  I wouldn't have used it if one had existed for linux either, I'm in agreeance with SpuTTer on this one.

Anyway - the reason for the survey is to collect such information .  While there are no options for other OS's - please post in this thread if you are a non-windows developer and would have preferred some automated installation of the development environment.

Will.

[Jens]

The idea of the windows installer is to make it easier to setup the Xith3D development environment in windows.  It's not a hard task on any OS - but I've been told that some windows developers can be more lazy than others and just want a turnkey solution.

That's what I wanted to answer, too, but I couldn't find such polite words to describe it.  

But in fact a Java installer isn't a bad idea. If the installer were a single jar (which includes the necessary files) and the user could run it by "java -jar installer.jar" or by double clicking this would still be quite simple (let's recall we are speaking about Java developers!).

[kevglass]

The idea of the windows installer is to make it easier to setup the Xith3D development environment in windows.  It's not a hard task on any OS - but I've been told that some windows developers can be more lazy than others and just want a turnkey solution.  

Not tainting the poll at all!!! If you vote yes now you're either "stupid" because its not a hard task or "lazy".

Not all developers are as clever as you lot, "stupid" might well just be inexperienced.

Not all developers have all the time in the world, "lazy" might well just be using time wisely.

However, I of course don't care

Kev

PS. This is almost a direct parallel to the Linux<->Windows debate that raged for weeks.  

[William Denniss]

Well there's nothing wrong with being lazy in this sense.  Perhaps another way to look at it is they are being more productive (as you said - using their time wisely).  Admintidly, I'm a fairly "lazy" linux user for example - I'll always pick an rpm if available.

But - for java I personally prefer not to have an installer for development libraries.  For example ant and log4j even if they had installers - I wouldn't have used them.  I like to know where stuff goes so I don't get bitten by version incompatabilities and other problems.

The poll is anonymous, and the question is past tense so just because you would have preferred an installer originally doesn't mean you still need one now.  If you feel the poll is tained, you can always vote Abstain.

The people using Xith3D now probably don't need an installer as they have already got it all figured out.  The question was intended to ask if you would have found one useful when you first installed Xith3D so we can better cater for future developers.

Cheers,

Will.

[William Denniss]

should we assume from the small number of votes that this isn't a big issue?

Maybe we just needed better documentation.  Now with the install tute in Wiki, several people have been tweaking it when problems arise which is very good.

Will.

[kevglass]

You could do, or maybe its the people that this question would actually apply to don't make it as far as the forums because they give up without an installer!

Statistically speaking, 9 out of 10 statistics are worthless.

Kev

[William Denniss]

hehe, true.  Maybe I should point to this thread on the download page.

Will.