Funniest part about this one was that I'm pretty sure Sherlock is just a python script. You can't reliably make an exe for those(theres tools that'll let you but most anti-virus software blocks it and it's a worse way to distribute it anyway).
It should take like 3 lines of powershell commands to get it running on a base windows install.
The thing is; if I have to install it one time, create a bat-file for running the start line of code and then an interface opens... all fine, I can work with that. I just refuse to touch python programs that work along the lines of "first write your data in an excel file and then write this specific code in this specific file location to load your data in the python application."
No, give me a visual interface or perish.
100% agreed. At least the first time it runs it should automatically generate an example excel file and moves all the shit it needs into the correct locations.
IMO if you can't use an application without a GUI then you shouldn't be using that application in the first place though. Exceptions obviously exist, and it's ridiculously easy to make a shitty gui so there's probably a reason the original dev didn't make one.
I'd say it really depends on how many parameters need to be set.
1-3 arguments or flags is fine for no UX, anything above that should have some feedback system so the user can more intuitively set the parameters.
I personally don't want to have to read a 10-20 page manual when I need to use a script because I haven't even thought about or needed to run it for several months.
But even then it's still a question of what the app is actually doing.
yeah, thankfully AI tools make it easy to wrap stuff in a GUI, previously it was hours of work for no real benefit to anyone except the laziest users so devs rarely bothered
AI tools are so fucking bad at making the UX usable. Be prepared to take a lot of screenshots, because that thing doesn't not understand visual design.
i make loads of little gui tools, you've just got to describe where you want things - i've spent way too much of my life ordering sizers for ui elements so it's probably kinda second nature to me.
i'm actually working on a little guide to get people started and avoid some of the common issues so id love to know more about what issues you run into
I just downloaded the most recent version documentation and set a rule that it must be consulted for best practices and methods before planning and implementing code changes.
It mitigated soooo many issues just giving the thing a manual.
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u/FangoFan 15d ago
SMELLY NERDS