Anyone out there familiar with Perl::Tk at all? I've been using it
recently and having some fun with it, although I ain't 100% with it as
yet, of course.

What I've been doing is writing some software to allow the user to
interact with a piece of hardware. I essentially had to invent a very simplisting 'language' to allow control. Then I had to build a compiler
that read control programs in this 'language', compiled them into the
binary sequences the machine understood, and send the binary data stream
to the machine.

What I have been using the Tk module for, is building a simplistic 'IDE'
for this language/machine. It's been a hoot, even though I had to figure
out a lot myself. There is pretty good docu for the Tk module (and its derivatives) and I even have the O'Reilly Emu.

Of course, as we learned more about the capabilities of the hardware, I
have had to gradually expand the language, and it now appears that I will
have to get serious. I may include a plugin feature to extend the
language (MySQL functionality is the first plug-in I'm thinking about) and look at the parse::RecDescent module. I haven't done any recursive
descent work since I used Pascal to write parser for a Pascal compiler,
many years ago. (And without yacc, or anything like it!)

So, any Perl coders out there?




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Re: Perl::Tk
By: Angus McLeod to All on Fri Jun 02 2006 12:43 am

Anyone out there familiar with Perl::Tk at all? I've been using it
recently and having some fun with it, although I ain't 100% with it as
yet, of course.

I've used it a teensy bit... mostly I used SpecPerl to do the GUI bits, then did the "Real Stuff" by hand.

So, any Perl coders out there?

I am!

---
This sig is not directed at Jazzman.

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With interpidation and the MAGIC of QWK Mail Angus McLeod wrote to All <=-

Anyone out there familiar with Perl::Tk at all? I've been using it recently and having some fun with it, although I ain't 100% with it as yet, of course.

What I've been doing is writing some software to allow the user to interact with a piece of hardware. I essentially had to invent a very simplisting 'language' to allow control. Then I had to build a
compiler that read control programs in this 'language', compiled them
into the binary sequences the machine understood, and send the binary
data stream to the machine.

What I have been using the Tk module for, is building a simplistic
'IDE' for this language/machine. It's been a hoot, even though I had
to figure out a lot myself. There is pretty good docu for the Tk
module (and its derivatives) and I even have the O'Reilly Emu.

Of course, as we learned more about the capabilities of the hardware, I have had to gradually expand the language, and it now appears that I
will have to get serious. I may include a plugin feature to extend the language (MySQL functionality is the first plug-in I'm thinking about)
and look at the parse::RecDescent module. I haven't done any recursive descent work since I used Pascal to write parser for a Pascal compiler, many years ago. (And without yacc, or anything like it!)

So, any Perl coders out there?

Just curious, is this an open source project? I would mildly curious to
see the code.




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Re: Re: Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Fri Jun 02 2006 09:07:00

Just curious, is this an open source project?

No. I did the job for a company, so I guess the code is theirs. They put
a code-freeze on that particular application today. There were some
clean-up issues that I'd have liked to deal with. And there was the whole recursive-descent parser I wanted to add to improve the essentially linear meta-language they have right now. But it is good enough and that's all
we're doing right now.

I would mildly curious to see the code.

What part exactly were you interested in? Not that I can show you, but... I'm looking for a SBBS-related utility that I can use as a vehicle to
polish up my Perl::Tk skill-set (just for the fun of it). I don't know
what, tho. Cross-platform, Ctrl-A compatible QWK-mailer? Structured-BAJA
IDE and compiler? Don't know.


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With interpidation and the MAGIC of QWK Mail Angus McLeod wrote to

Finnigann <=-

Re: Re: Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Fri Jun 02 2006 09:07:00

Just curious, is this an open source project?

No. I did the job for a company, so I guess the code is theirs. They
put a code-freeze on that particular application today. There were
some clean-up issues that I'd have liked to deal with. And there was
the whole recursive-descent parser I wanted to add to improve the essentially linear meta-language they have right now. But it is good enough and that's all we're doing right now.

I would mildly curious to see the code.

What part exactly were you interested in? Not that I can show you,
but... I'm looking for a SBBS-related utility that I can use as a
vehicle to polish up my Perl::Tk skill-set (just for the fun of it). I don't know what, tho. Cross-platform, Ctrl-A compatible QWK-mailer? Structured-BAJA IDE and compiler? Don't know.

Just to see what it looks like. I am NO programmer (I have even given
up on Batch). Yet I find it emmensly fasinating. in the past I have
been able to at least follow along with some of the simpler efforts.

Your explination of reg exp was fasinating adn reveals a side of you
many should be envious. You explain things to the degree I find most
useful. Many need more and a few need less, but you nailed it as far as
I was concerned.





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Re: Re: Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Sat Jun 03 2006 20:23:00

What part exactly were you interested in?

Just to see what it looks like.

Sorry, I really shouldn't show you. It's available to me, so I suppose I *could* but that would cross an ethical boundary that I prefer not to
cross.

Your explination of reg exp was fasinating adn reveals a side of you
many should be envious. You explain things to the degree I find most
useful. Many need more and a few need less, but you nailed it as far as
I was concerned.

IIRC, that was supposed to be a two-part episode, and I don't remember if
I did the second episode or not. I can only find the first episode here
on my HD...



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With interpidation and the MAGIC of QWK Mail Angus McLeod wrote to

Finnigann <=-

Re: Re: Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Sat Jun 03 2006 20:23:00

What part exactly were you interested in?

Just to see what it looks like.

Sorry, I really shouldn't show you. It's available to me, so I suppose
I *could* but that would cross an ethical boundary that I prefer not to cross.

OK, it doesnot have to be from that project... how about the first
program every written in perl::tk? Or any simple example you have lying
around? Iircc the TK part is a graphical interface layer.


If you wanted a BBS connection, How about a config tool/Game installer?

[more, if you want, on this]

Your explination of reg exp was fasinating adn reveals a side of you
many should be envious. You explain things to the degree I find most
useful. Many need more and a few need less, but you nailed it as far as
I was concerned.

IIRC, that was supposed to be a two-part episode, and I don't remember
if I did the second episode or not. I can only find the first episode here on my HD...

And last but not least:

\ Escapes the significance of any other character including
itself.

With these meta-characters, we are already able to construct some
fairly powerful and flexible REs. Tune in, same Bat-time, same
Bat-channel next week, for more interesting things you can do with
REs.



This is from the last paragraph I have... there is more?




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Re: Re: Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Sun Jun 04 2006 11:02:00

OK, it doesnot have to be from that project... how about the first
program every written in perl::tk? Or any simple example you have lying
around? Iircc the TK part is a graphical interface layer.

Yes, Tk is the "Tool Kit" that gives a GUI interface to Perl programs. It works on ActiveState perl for Windows too.

Here's a complete GUI program:

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use Tk;
$w = new MainWindow();
MainLoop;

:-) Doesn't do much... doesn't even say "Hello, World!".

If you wanted a BBS connection, How about a config tool/Game installer?

[more, if you want, on this]

Yes, I'd quite like a Synchronet-related program to work on, just for the
fun of it. Can't think of exactly waht would be of use to the community, though. Don't want to re-invent the wheel, after all.....

IIRC, that was supposed to be a two-part episode, and I don't remember if I did the second episode or not. I can only find the first episode here on my HD...

This is from the last paragraph I have... there is more?

That's the end of part one. There is *supposed* to be more, but I guess I never got around to writing it.

---
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With interpidation and the MAGIC of QWK Mail Angus McLeod wrote to

Finnigann <=-

Re: Re: Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Sun Jun 04 2006 11:02:00

If you wanted a BBS connection, How about a config tool/Game installer?

[more, if you want, on this]

Yes, I'd quite like a Synchronet-related program to work on, just for
the fun of it. Can't think of exactly waht would be of use to the community, though. Don't want to re-invent the wheel, after all.....

Hopefully not.

I was thinking of a game installer that could help with all of the
little things - like placing score files (in addition to where ever the
game wants to do with them) into the TEXT section. [SBBS\DATA\TEXT]
And helping create a system there [mirroring the game structure] Or
adding the score file to RSS if so inclined.
Game archives (useful to sync systems) could be modified to
facilitate this too. The installer could display all of the games
installed in what ever sub-system the sysop has started plus any new
directories found in [SBBS\XTRN]. Making new door easier to install.
Just create the dir and run the sync-installer.
Games could rated or typed and the installer could pre sort games as
to their type. (ie. word puzzle, trivia, RPG etc) A single file could
be added to a game archive that held all of the info that the sync game
installer might need.
The installer could display all of the games and their sub-divisions
and allow the sysop to rearrainge them as needed.



Online Program Sections
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
³Main
³Games
³Reg-Games
³Other Synchronet Systems


Could become even more complex, if the sysop wanted. Even the
Non-door entries can be modified too.

Online Program Sections
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
³Main
³RPG Games
³Trivia
³Puzzles
³Popular
³Reg-Games
³Other Synchronet Systems
³Linux Systems


A raaw display:

sbj
sbl
smm
tbd
dhoard
food
doormud
LORD
FE
Betsy
Chain
Concent
Keno
GWAR
Rescue
RRadio
Search
WOF
WordWar
WordWarp
lmatch
bg

Or a configured display:

MAIN RPG POPULAR TRIVIA REG-GAMES
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
sbj TBD dhoard KENO
sbl food BETSY ROSS SOL RESCUE
doormud Global War WHEEL OF FORTUNE
smm LORD Word War CONCENTRATION
FALCON'S EYE Word Warp Rockin' Radio
Letter Match
Back Gammon
Search
Chain

As you can see, I have a lot of games under the popular heading and
nothing under the Trivia heading. The installer would allow me to move
whater I wanted to where ever I liked.

Or all of the games could be a single menu and colorized for
significance. Of course some of this is already availible in SBBS, but
to see the layout is a plus. Also to make menus as you go would be
helpful to a sysop. The sync color editor would be integrated into this
also for quicker menu creation.

A directory found in \XTRN but not listed in \sbbs\ctrl\xtrn.cnf would specially marked as ready to install. IF it had the added file, it would
list it's catagory and any install options. Selecting the game would make
the needed entries in xtrn.cnf.

Menu templates would help new sysops and could be shared if desired.




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Re: Sync-related - Perl::Tk
By: Finnigann to Angus McLeod on Mon Jun 05 2006 05:33:00

I was thinking of a game installer that could help with all of the
little things - like placing score files (in addition to where ever the
game wants to do with them) into the TEXT section. [SBBS\DATA\TEXT]
And helping create a system there [mirroring the game structure] Or
adding the score file to RSS if so inclined.

I've read your post several times, but I have to say that the idea of a Universal Game Installer is not appealing. Here's why:

Every external progran has it's own installation procedure and I doubt
there are even *two* that are quite the same. They have different configuration files, all laid out differently. If they generate any scoresheets suitable for bulletins, they each have their own naming
convention and drop locations, which may *or*may*not* be definable in
their configuration files. The file manifest and sub-directory structure
is always different. There can even be significant variations between different versions of the same game! Some, like LORD IGMs, also have complications that relate to being coupled to another external program
(like LORD itself).

All of this leads me to believe that there is no procedure that could be devised, that would successfully install, uninstall, move, or reconfigure
all XTRN programs, or even a significant fraction of them.

It would be necessary to write one or more separate, non-trivial handler functions for each and every XTRN program in the known universe. *Then*
write some sort of UI to allow the SysOp to manage them all in a coherent manner, by calling the apropriate handler function(s) for each XTRN as
needed. Frankly, it would be a monumental task, even if you limited
yourself to the top 20 (say) popular XTRN programs out there. And given
how tricky XTRNs can be to get going, with the identical layout working on some systems and not working on others? I don't hold out much hope of a successful conclusion in any case.

Even if, by some miracle, you got it all to work, the job would never be
done. The next new XTRN or new *version* of an XTRN could have you back recoding the application to manage the changes. The more successful you
were, the more XTRNs you were able to manage, the greater the frequency of fixes/patches to accommodate upgrades.

No, regretfully, while I'll admit it's an interesting idea, I'm going to
pass on this one.

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