Each year I tell myself it will be better. Each year Deja Vu. If it was not for all the help on Chief Delphi our robot would be a brick.
The inconsistancies of Eclipse C++, SmartDashboard, Robot Builder, Wifi Radio and robotRio is frustrating. We have a list of recovery procedures when the following things occur:
- the Driver station can not connect to radio
- The green comm indicator does not illuminate
- the green robot code indicator does not illuminate.
- C++ code exported from Robot Builder does or does not appear in an open project in Eclipse.
- Real and not real bug indicators. Index Refresh, Clean Project, exit and restart Eclipse.
- WPI selector when you want to deploy code sometimes missing.
- Test mode in Smart Dashboard missing some motors or sensors.
- USB camera does not work as desired.
- whine, whine whine.
I have been developing computer controls since the beginning of time, so to me, this is just reality.
But it is a hard sell to high school kids. Our school is very small, does not have any programming classes, so it is up to us old C/C++ programmers to teach and inspire. But we spend most of our time dealing with the inconsistencies. My joke is that "FRC has managed to convince all of our aspiring programmers to pursue other careers"
Next year, would our life be better if we used Labview, Java, Python?
Should I just take a deep breath and get back to work?