|
PureBytes Links
Trading Reference Links
|
Gary,
So what do you think of TJ's (and other's) suggestion of using
Kernighan and Ritchie's "The C Programming Language" or other
introductory books on C to learn some basic coding techniques? K&R is
the classic - written by people who helped develop C - but there are
lots of "C For Dummies"-like books available at Amazon.com and your
local Barnes & Noble.
I think people are looking for some sort of panacea in learning AB.
In actuality, I think there are lots of resources laying around:
user's guide, video tutorials, online help, books on programming,
sample AFL code, the people on this thread, etc. Yet it's a complex
product with a lot of capability so I think people just have to jump
in and use what's there, realizing it will take some time. I started
using AB 5-6 weeks ago and I'm just now starting to feel a "little
bit" competent with it (but realizing I still have a long ways to go).
Somebody suggested earlier avoiding books on C++. I agree. C++ has a
lot of stuff not applicable to AFL. Plain old C is much closer IMO.
Dan
--- In amibroker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Gary A. Serkhoshian"
<serkhoshian777@xxxx> wrote:
> Glen,
>
> You must understand that what you are describing in Graham's e-mail
was a CODING TECHNIQUE. I've come to find that programming is 40%
understanding syntax (the help file) and 60% knowing coding
techniques.
>
> Right now the AB board is the primary source for the coding
technique portion, and I wholeheartedly agree that a coding technique
reference is going to be necessary for AB to get mass appeal.
>
> Judging from your posts, you have done a good job of getting your
arms around AFL, and I hope that others new to AFL will espouse the
same sense of curiousity and patience you have exibited.
>
> Kind Regards,
> Gary
>
>
>
>
> Glen Haponek <ghaponek@xxxx> wrote:
> Hello Gary,
>
> On 3-24-04 a post by Graham did an excellent job providing
pertinent information on the use of the keyword CUM. I don't think
that a more robust elaboration on the typical use of some of the
keywords in the users guide is unreasonable. After all they are
keywords and it's not like you can go to the bookstore for a
reference manual on AFL, as you can on a foreign language. Everyone
usually has some preconceived notions about what to expect when they
start working with a new program. I expected to find a section on
creating or building a system. Well it's in the user's guide but not
really as a section such as is devoted to " A Beginner's Charting
Guide", which I personally don't really care much about right now.
The optimum use of "function" and "procedure" as explained in the
user's guide doesn't exactly jump right out at me either. Why and
when and how I would use it to advantage just aren't in any context
that I can use.
>
> I'm not here to criticize the user's guide and I'm not seeking
advice on the mentioned topics, they are just examples that come to
mind of questions that I have had. I really don't know what could be
expected out of a person trying to do anything in AFL if they had no
prior programming experience. But if you suggest that this person
pour over code to learn AFL that did not contain concise explanation
then it could be like picking up a foreign newspaper and not knowing
their alphabet. If you learned in this manner then you ought to be
commended for accomplishing so much.
>
> I'm not advocating for or against your effort to"work up a to do
list", and I'm not advocating less reading as has been previously
suggested. I'd just like to see more of something to read in certain
areas.
>
> Regards,
>
> Glen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Gary A. Serkhoshian
> To: amibroker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 1:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] Re: Helper duudes: Whadya say let's work
up a to do list for...
>
>
> Kevin,
>
> I gotta offer some tough love here because I, along with everyone
else on this board, have been or currently are in the same situation
you are.
>
> If you've ever had the pleasure of learning a foreign language, you
may recall how much of a pain it was to learn conjugation of verbs,
learning vocab, and understanding concepts of grammar. If you were
even more fortunate to have gone to a foreign country to apply your
learnings, you realized that what you learned in books was only
scratching the surface.
>
> Well Kevin, AFL is no different. You must go through the entire
help file that encompases AFL. You must read through every
function. You must read every line of code from every post on this
board.
>
> Initially, you will only understand 1% of what you read. However,
after enough iterations, you will gradually get a grasp of the
language, and the inherent power that it offers.
>
> I'm not programmer by trade, but if I could learn AFL then you can
too. : )
>
> Kind Regards,
> Gary
>
> mrdavis9 <mrdavis9@xxxx> wrote:
> Yes, the AFL functions do have an example, however, they are of
little value to non-technical folks such as myself and Yuki. Every
time that I look up a function, it has only the techie definition,
and obviously, that is as it should be.
>
> However, when I click to go on line to see more detailed
information, there is usually no additional detail there to see.
>
> The help provided by this board has been enormously helpful.
However, non-techie newbys will be able to grasp it much faster if we
could see examples of practical use of these functions when we click
go online to see a more detailed description.
> Below here I have pasted an earlier email from a very frustrated
Yuki.
> ====================================================================
> Side note, William,
>
> Friday, September 12, 2003, 1:12:11 PM, you wrote:
>
> WP> if (GetDatabaseName() == "XYZ")
>
> This seems so easy -- so very bloody easy that it is *extremely*
> frustrating that I could not come up with it myself. Perhaps these
> things are only easy in retrospect -- at least I hope so. I never
> really thought of myself as mentally challenged until I started
using
> this software. ^_^ I knew of this function, but a practical use
for
> it simply eluded me. This is true of any large number of AFL
> functions. ^^_^^
>
> The AFL reference is simply not all that much help for minds that
are
> not accustomed to programming, I think. Here is what it says about
> this function:
>
> SYNTAX GetDatabaseName()
> RETURNS STRING
> FUNCTION retrieves the name of the database - the last part
(folder) of the database path
> EXAMPLE
> SEE ALSO
>
> And this was from the updated/extended version online.
>
> Okay, it retrieves the name of the database. Whatever would I ever
> want to use that capability for? ^^_^^ Now I know, of course.
>
> My point here is that this function was included into the AFL
> language for a reason. The developer (TJ) had a notion of
> specifically what this might be used for, and it turns out to be
very
> handy indeed for this situation that I have recently come across.
Yet
> NO notion of any specific practical way that this function might be
> used is included in the AFL language reference, at least none that I
> can find. There is some kind of thought bridge here that
programmers
> can easily cross, and non-programmers (at least this non-programmer)
> cannot.
>
> A specific example of practical usage should be given for AFL
> functions in the reference, I think. These examples should be
> written in NON-PROGRAMMING prose. ^_^ They should be the antithesis
> of Linux MAN pages. They should take little grasshoppers like me
and
> lead them to discovering practical usages for the function.
>
> I would be willing to help anyone that would like to work on this
> type of project. I'm afraid, though, that my contribution would be
> limited to cleaning up the wording, and making it clear. And also,
> if I can understand it, it's probably a great filter for 'ready' or
> 'not ready'.
>
> Yuki
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jayson
> To: amibroker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 10:56 PM
> Subject: RE: [amibroker] Re: Helper duudes: Whadya say let's work
up a to do list for...
>
>
> Odd....in my version of AFL function reference nearly every AFL
function has an example, many more than one, attached to it.....
>
> Regards,
> Jayson
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin243@xxxx [mailto:Kevin243@x...]
> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 11:42 PM
> To: amibroker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [amibroker] Re: Helper duudes: Whadya say let's work
up a to do list for...
>
>
> I asked a simple question and got a lot of answers that have
nothing to do with the question I asked. You don't know me, so how
do you know what I need. Does anybody know of a good book that comes
close to AFL? What's missing in the documentation is examples.
That's how you learned things in school - working through examples
and finally creating your own routines to solve new problems. That
was true for basic Addition math all the way through Differential
Equations.
>
> Two salesmen in Best Buy kept telling me the print cartridges they
handed me would work in my printer today. I kept telling them no,
they won't work. They talked me into trying them.
>
> Of course they didn't work......
>
> Kevin Campbell
>
>
> In a message dated 4/4/04 10:31:56 PM Central Daylight Time,
Kevin243@xxxx writes:
> That's too simple...
> Kevin
>
> In a message dated 4/4/04 10:12:56 AM Central Daylight Time,
jcasavant@xxxx writes:
> You might have a look at the simple program written by Bill Peters
over at ABtools.com it allows you to tell the program what you want
in English then it spits out the AFL equiv. It may give you a quick
start on AFL programming
>
> Regards,
> Jayson
>
>
>
>
>
> Send BUG REPORTS to bugs@xxxx
> Send SUGGESTIONS to suggest@xxxx
> -----------------------------------------
> Post AmiQuote-related messages ONLY to: amiquote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amiquote/messages/)
> --------------------------------------------
> Check group FAQ at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/files/groupfaq.html
>
>
>
>
> Send BUG REPORTS to bugs@xxxx
> Send SUGGESTIONS to suggest@xxxx
> -----------------------------------------
> Post AmiQuote-related messages ONLY to: amiquote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amiquote/messages/)
> --------------------------------------------
> Check group FAQ at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/files/groupfaq.html
>
>
>
>
> Send BUG REPORTS to bugs@xxxx
> Send SUGGESTIONS to suggest@xxxx
> -----------------------------------------
> Post AmiQuote-related messages ONLY to: amiquote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amiquote/messages/)
> --------------------------------------------
> Check group FAQ at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/files/groupfaq.html
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway - Enter today
>
> Send BUG REPORTS to bugs@xxxx
> Send SUGGESTIONS to suggest@xxxx
> -----------------------------------------
> Post AmiQuote-related messages ONLY to: amiquote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amiquote/messages/)
> --------------------------------------------
> Check group FAQ at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/files/groupfaq.html
>
>
>
>
> Send BUG REPORTS to bugs@xxxx
> Send SUGGESTIONS to suggest@xxxx
> -----------------------------------------
> Post AmiQuote-related messages ONLY to: amiquote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amiquote/messages/)
> --------------------------------------------
> Check group FAQ at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/files/groupfaq.html
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> To visit your group on the web, go to:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> amibroker-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway - Enter today
Send BUG REPORTS to bugs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Send SUGGESTIONS to suggest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------
Post AmiQuote-related messages ONLY to: amiquote@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Web page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amiquote/messages/)
--------------------------------------------
Check group FAQ at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/files/groupfaq.html
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amibroker/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
amibroker-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|