The disappearing Propeller Tutorial

LoopyByteloose · 2011-10-04 05:19

This may seem like a small thing to those of you that are now proficient, but I see that we have seemed to have lost the Propeller Tutorial that was Chapter 3 in the Propeller Manual 1.0. I happen to have printed out a copy of that PDF and am finding it a very worthy item.

Propeller Manual 1.1 claimed that it was moved into the IDE as an HTML text, along with Chapter 2.

That is all and good, but.........

1. BST doesn't include these items.
2. Beginners are not being directed in the Stickies to the tutorial.

Why can't we have (maybe we do and I just don't know where to look) BOTH - the HTML version and PDF documents that can be downloaded and put into a printed page copy if anyone wants that?

I'll look around some more, but so far I can seem to find the up-to-date Propeller Tutorial in a PDF.

Kye · 2011-10-04 06:15

Its under help in the propeller tool menu.

LoopyByteloose · 2011-10-04 08:39

Yes, it is under Help in the Propeller Tool, but that is the only place. No separate preview for newcomers to the Propeller and no listing in the forum stickies or the Propeller downloads.

So I have to down my Ubuntu Linux, load the W7 and open the Propeller Tool to read it. Gawd................ What is someone on an Apple or a Linux machine without dual boot supposed to do?

It all seems rather a shame. Why is Parallax making it so hard for newcomers to look at it?

I am now using BST now, which should have the following included in its Zip file to up to par with the Propeller Tool.

1. The latest Propeller Manual
2. The Propeller Tool as PDF and HTML
3. The library of core objects

None are included. So if you are new to Parallax, you just may have a lot more work to do than new customers had to do with the BasicStamp.

This all goes contrary to helping new users easily get involved.

LoopyByteloose · 2011-10-04 09:27

Well, I don't have to down Ubuntu in order to read it as I can run the HTM files from Firefox in Ubuntu. And I can copy all the .spin files over to Linux as well.

But the main point is NOT about what I can do. The point is that the Propeller Tutorial is a stand alone selling feature. Naive newbies may take a long time to install the Propeller Tool and even longer to discover all that the HELP has to offer. But just about every beginner wants to read a tutorial immediately before or after buying.

And some of us prefer the PDF mode for reading. You really don't want to create the impression that the Propeller is hard to learn just because your Tutorial is not easy to find in a variety of formats.

sylvie369 · 2011-10-04 09:50

I agree with Loopy on this. I found that document to be the most helpful introduction to the Propeller. It's what I used - not that I'm a master Spin programmer or anything, but it got me to where I can use the Prop for projects.
I also used to direct people on the Prop forum to that chapter of that document.

Could it be make into a standalone .pdf and included in the education area on the website as a download?

4x5n · 2011-10-04 10:58

Try looking here: http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/prop/WebPM-v1.01.pdf

LoopyByteloose · 2011-10-05 01:28

@4X5n
Yes, that is the first edition of the Propeller Manual which includes the Propeller Tutorial in 12 exercises. It is very good.

The dilemma remains.
Why would a new users start with an old manual when all the other material in it has been substantially revised? The only reason I have it is that I actually printed out a copy before it was revised. (I had 5 Xerox copies made and bound and gave them to friends with Propeller chips or Demo boards.)

I still say, it needs to be revived at a PDF and Download and listed prominently. Also it seems the revised HTM copy is only 10 exercises - the last two may have been removed. But that may not be so important.

4x5n · 2011-10-05 12:35

Loopy Byteloose wrote: »

@4X5n
Yes, that is the first edition of the Propeller Manual which includes the Propeller Tutorial in 12 exercises. It is very good.

The dilemma remains.
Why would a new users start with an old manual when all the other material in it has been substantially revised? The only reason I have it is that I actually printed out a copy before it was revised. (I had 5 Xerox copies made and bound and gave them to friends with Propeller chips or Demo boards.)

I still say, it needs to be revived at a PDF and Download and listed prominently. Also it seems the revised HTM copy is only 10 exercises - the last two may have been removed. But that may not be so important.

For what it's worth I agree that the tutorial should be made available for those of us not using the propeller tool.

johnfos · 2011-10-05 15:34

I'd like to add my agreement to this. Parallax have decided to support Windows only in their toolset, and I respect that decision even though I don't agree with it. It's clear from the forums that many people are nevertheless using Mac or Linux, and thanks to BST this is clearly a viable option. Documentation, I believe, should be available to all.

WBA Consulting · 2011-10-05 16:15

The "Propeller Help" contents from the Propeller Tool are simply a mix of HTML and XML files. So, I suggest zipping up the contents and then posting that on the Propeller Downloads page. (the PDFs mentioned are already there.) Just unzip the contents, then open "default.htm" from the main folder. Bam! There's the help information you are looking for, right in your browser. I just zipped up the Help folder and it is only 3MB.

LoopyByteloose · 2011-10-05 20:59

This is the excerpted Chapter 3 from the first Propeller Manual without the Table of Contents or the front pages that include copyright info and claims.

The problem with the subsequent HTML version is that one cannot easily jump around to reread and study deeply. I also have some fears that it is an abridged version of the original, but I can't confirm that. So the PDF as a download is more useful to some of us -- more User Friendly.

I am able to adapt all this material to my personal needs, but that has never been the main point of this thread. The Main Point is that I am being an advocate for the 'new user' that doesn't know where the resources are and is likely to just perceive in error that the Propeller is too hard to study.

This tutorial is extremely well-written and of the utmost importance.

The disappearing Propeller Tutorial

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