re getCurrentTime()

[Rick Riolo]

I think part of the problem here is the 
old "principle of least surprise" for the user.
>From looking at something simple like Heatbugs,
it looks like getCurrentTime() is just returning 
"the" simulation clock time.  (I put that "the"
in quotes because I realize its more complicated than
it looks.)  From that interpretation, its no big
jump to expect that
1) time=0 before a simulation starts
2) when a user presses STOP on the control (which
   can also be thought of as PAUSE)
   there is a current time---the user might expect
   to have frozen the simulation at that time point.
Thus users are surprised when that's now how it
actually works.

Getting "the" simulation time before starting, 
while running, and while paused seems like
something simple and commonly used.
Maybe what is needed is careful documentation 
that makes it clear how to get time's in those 
three simulation state's for simple apps like heatbugs. 
Better would be some one macro (say) that makes it 
easy to get a time value in those three  states, 
again at least for simple apps (eg like heatbugs).

- r

ps Examples of more complex "time" situations 
   should also be in the documentation, too, of course!

Rick Riolo                       address@hidden
Program for Study of Complex Systems (PSCS)
1061 Randall Lab     University of Michigan
Ann Arbor MI 48109-1120
http://pscs.physics.lsa.umich.edu/PEOPLE/rlr-home.html


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