I am sorry to say that this is not as helpful as the title had seemed to promise.

You begin and end with questions and conundrums. That is not helpful in a tutorial. A tutorial should provide practical help to the naive but eager reader.

In the third paragraph you pose the key question: do you use the old way or the new way? Then you spend the rest of the post talking around but not answering that key question. I have read this through several times and I do not find that answer.

As I read your 'tutorial' and think about my expectations, I am aware that tutorials usually have one of two forms (either as a whole, or sub-section by sub-section). Either:

• Problem
• Solution
• Discussion

or...

• Problem
• Discussion
• Solution

Your solution section seems to be missing. You have illuminated the problem quite well -- and that is worth something. But sadly, after reading your post, I find myself even more discouraged in my search for the proper or best solution.