Arexx Dictionary Idea

At present there are great deal of Amiga applications that have an ARexx Port.

http://www.devdaily.com/blog-files/applescript-dictionary.jpg

Each application has its own set of unique commands.

http://www.devdaily.com/blog-files/ap ... ipt-dictionary-finder.jpg

(Why are you showing me these?!? All will become clear in a moment!)

Rather than make an official request on AmigaBounty just yet I'd like to talk about it first in case I am wrong and there is already provision for this in the OS.

As you can see from the above links, this is Apple's own interpretation to help people interested in scripting understand what commands are available in each application.

The project I'd like to propose to any interested party willing to accept this project would evolve over 3 stages:

1) Research. Find out what worthwhile applications have an arexx port. Trawl through webpages, program guides and pdfs to find out to what extent functionality of arexx they in fact cover; making notes of urls and reference points.

2) Setting out the data. From this list of applications this stage would involve entering commands into a suitable file format; suggested here is .csv, but could be .xml. Every application gets allocated a file that lists each command name and its described purpose.
Within this drawer of csv/xml dictionary files would reside a dictionary of global arexx commands.

I would expect stage 2 to take the longest amount of time; sure it won't be an easy process consolidating all the information in one place.

3) The third and final stage would to be create the gui similar to apple's implementation. A list requester showing those applications in the database and a dictionary window that parses the csv/xml into a more readable marked up form.

So any takers?

@djrikki

This could just be done as a SuperBase file, no need for writing a new application just to show the contents of a database.

@djrikki

This sounds like a great idea.

I'd guess that doing it in a well thought out XML file might be the easiest way to do it. Doesn't theoretically require anything special for creation & editing.

One XML file per application?

How would one track different command sets for different versions of a program?

Theoretically, that could become fairly cumbersome.

hmmm...

PJS

@pjs

Hi, nice to finally a reply to my thread. :)

Yeah creation/editing should be straightforward, cumbersome I guess, but Amiga has had this ARexx thing for years and it could be even better if this central repository to make it more accessible to novice/new users.

SuperBase is no good idea. AFAIK SuperBase is still proprietary and differs in functionality from platform to platform. Either use MUIbase which is available on all Amiga flavours plus some other platforms in the same state or use AutoDocs instead. There are AutoDoc readers available on any Amiga flavour. That way, those files can be easily integrated in every SDK.

@djrikki

Great idea.
Decide upon an easy format to start with. (commands tend to be complcated, so a rather free description type autodocs is OK)
Have an initial list of apps to which people can commit, to avoid duplicating efforts, and you are flying.

Maybe add requests for additional arexx commands.

eg : Any application should be able to adapt its window position and dimensions & to quit it.




Mui based applications generate a list of their arexx commands with the arexx HELP command.
This should be seen as a standard way to do it for any application having an arexx port. I don't know about Reaction, but it certainly should have it too.

It would also be nice that standard OS4 programs eg Cranu, Unarc,
the most used preferences programs , Notepad, Multiview,
and third party programs give attention first to a good arexx port and then to a fancy gui.

The real spirit of the Amiga is the ability to make applications interact easily, permitting workflow organisation without big words.

One of the applications i really miss on the OS4 is Scripit, permitting to send mouse clicks or text to any application lacking an extensive arexx port. I hope one of the new (or old) hands and maybe one of the oS4 team programmers gets interested in it.

I would also like to remember here that
-any application written in Gui4Cli permits direct addressing via arexx of any subroutine of its subroutine
- and that that a lot of Gui4Cli commands can be addressed directly via arexx, permitting to manipulate listviews, textingadgets etc.