OpenSTAAD Help File - Help!

In the latest version of STAAD.Pro (22.00.00.15) the OpenSTAAD help screen has this little gem on the first page.

"In an effort to provide you with the best application support in the industry, OpenSTAAD documentation is provided electronically in the form of HTML help files. This important decision was made to provide a method of quickly updating users with the latest program additions or modifications. Since this information is provided electronically, users can simply download the latest help files from our web site, without the delay to update and reprint hard copy documentation."

Huh? What? Where do we download these help files? And what does it being in HTML have to do with anything? And while I'm at it, the old help file gave you a nice little overview of OpenSTAAD. It explained things like instantiation. Now you get two short paragraphs giving you a very brief overview of OpenSTAAD and then it blast off into the function reference manual. How is this "the best application support in the industry"?

And it looks like all the arguments in the functions are typed as VARIANT FAR. Come on, most of us are not computer science majors. Without the example code you provide how are we supposed to know the data types when we are using those functions in Basic?

And last but certainly least (valuable that is). Try copying and pasting a code snippet out of the help. It paste everything on one line! I just submitted a service request on this one. I don't know maybe it has something to do with Windows 10. I've had nothing but problems since I've switched but dang, what a PITA!

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  • Dear Tank,

    I am from the development team. Thanks for your posts and bringing into our notice the inconvenience faced by you.

    Firstly, we would like to apologize for the inconvenience. We are aware that you are one of the proponents of STAAD and how much you have contributed to its current shape.

    Secondly, regarding your issue:
    In our attempt to keep our users updated with the latest OpenSTAAD API documentation, we tried to generate the documentation directly from the source code. And in the process, the internal method declarations got used in the content.

    Just to keep you informed, we are in discussion with our Documentation team to figure out how we can present the content. Kindly bear with us for sometime.

    Lastly, we regret your inconvenience and thank you again for posting your issues. Please keep posting.

    Regards

    Rudra Lahiri

    Senior Principal Software Engineer, Structural

     

    Answer Verified By: Tank 

  • Any update on this?
    Because I see the same "OSLoadUI" functions in my OpenSTAAD help file.

    And is there any way I can use "GetLoadCountInLoadList (const VARIANT FAR &varLoadListIndex)" or "GetLoadsInLoadList (const VARIANT FAR &varLoadListIndex, const VARIANT FAR &varLoadList)" functions???

    The help files provided by Jason Coleman does not include above two functions?? Any reason why??

    I hope someone will look into this !

  • Simply unbelievable. It's been just over a year since I first posted this. I'm now using version 22.03.00.28 and it still has the paragraph that I complained about in the opening screen of STAADOpen help. The one that Jason admitted was badly out of date. So now, I guess it's really badly out of date.

    I know what you are going to say. "STAAD is a huge complex program and we have to set priorities." How can something that is completely wrong not be a top priority?

Reply
  • Simply unbelievable. It's been just over a year since I first posted this. I'm now using version 22.03.00.28 and it still has the paragraph that I complained about in the opening screen of STAADOpen help. The one that Jason admitted was badly out of date. So now, I guess it's really badly out of date.

    I know what you are going to say. "STAAD is a huge complex program and we have to set priorities." How can something that is completely wrong not be a top priority?

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