Re: More on Graphical Pipes

[Michael Stearne <MStearne eisolutions com>]

You should read on Mac OS 8.5's newer AppleScript features while doing
the research.  These include scriptable folders.  The demo I saw of it
made it look pretty cool. For example everything dropped into a certain
folder could be run through a filter in Gimp, saved as a JPG image and
put into a predetermined HTML layout. Basically it would put a graphical
face to some perl(or other scripting language) scripts.

Michael

Olaf Grüttner wrote:
> 
> > Olaf
> > I just read your post to gnome-user and I agree about the importance of
> > graphical pipes.  I was tooling around with this idea using the translater
> > feature embedded in the BeOS, but alas, I'm not a programmer.  I have done
> > some pretty cool UI work though.
> 
> I am no programmer either, but for this idea, I am willing to learn how
> to program.
> 
> > Are you a programmer?  Here's an idea maybe we could try combining our
> > ideas and releasing a GPL design spec for a system utility like this.  I
> > think it has the potential to be a great user application and a wonderful
> > teaching aid.
> 
> > I have some general ideas that I could mock up if you're interested.  Hope
> > to hear back from you.
> 
> wonderful, I would love to mix my ideas with yours and brew something
> up. In the following lines, I try to be more specific on what I thought
> of originally. And like you allready said, the basic idea is to great to
> be dropped. Send me your comments / proposals/ ideas/ whatever and we'll
> see what happens.
> 
> ==================
> 
> I was thinking about other ways on how to make the pipe / script -
> applet idea more clear.
> 
> Experienced users could write scripts, write a small explanation of what
> happens in the script/ pipe and then post it on web sites, ready for
> download.
> 
> The inexperienced user would download the script and copy it to say a
> certain directory. That's all there is to the installation and he is all
> set for work.
> 
> The program starts working as soon as a file from gmc is dropped upon
> the application icon which is sitting on the desktop.
> 
> It will scan the scripting directory, have a look at the dropped file
> (name, or extension) and take the appropriate script to process the
> file. The resulting file will be put onto the desktop, ready to be
> dragged into another place, or even to be dropped once again onto the
> pipe application.
> 
> If there is only one script available for say .txt files, you won't be
> prompted, but simply the result would apear on the desktop. Only if
> there are more scripts available you would be prompted for the right
> script to use.
> 
> Script / Pipe suggestions:
> 
> * 2x .txt - files              => diff - file
> * 3x .txt - files              => 2 diff - files
> * .html - file                 => .txt - file, stripped of all html tags
> * .gif - file                  => .png - file
> * .pcx - file                  => .tif - file ? ...
> * .end - file                  => a script for shutting down the
> computer
> * .connect - file              => lauch of a pppup or ppp-on script
> * .doc - file                  => .xml - file for gwp or abiword
> * .xls - file                  => .xml - file for gnumeric
> * .png - file                  => .gif - file
> * .rpm - file(s)               => install with rpm -Uv
> * .rpm - file(s)               => install with rpm -i
> * .english - file              => .german - file (replacing english
> words for german words with a lengthy sed file (for a basic
> pre-translation))
> * .txt - file                  => .txt - file, but checked for
> misspelled words, by ispell
> 
> The work would be done by scripts, while the application just provides
> an icon (maybe animated?), a possibility for prompting (multiple
> scripts) and means to copy the resulting file to the desktop. Maybe an
> interface for some configuration. But basically that's it.
> 
> If a user wants to say strip html - files, all he had to do would be to
> go to a website, copy the script (html2txt) and everything is ready to
> use.
> 
> The power of the command line would come to the casual user as close as
> it possibly can ... and would remain so easily usable.
> 
> ========================
> 
> In the next few days I want to take a closer look at the print applet.
> It prints files, which are dragged from gmc onto itself. Maybe it is a
> good beginning.
> 
> Until then.
> 
> Olaf
> 
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