lookuplet
---------

This GNOME application provides a unified interface for looking things up.
There are many applications (desktop and web-based) in which you enter
some text and they return some information based on that text. Examples
include:

  * Looking a word up in a dictionary
  * Performing a web search
  * Performing a more specific search (searching Debian packages or on
    freshmeat.net, etc.)
  * Looking up an address in a mapping service

The lookuplet aims to make all of those services readily accessible in as
efficient a manner as possible.

Using lookuplet
---------------

When invoked, the lookuplet grabs the current selection and sticks it into
a text field for potential editing. You then press a key combination that
you have previously configured and the text is sent either as an argument
to an application or URL encoded and substituted into a URL which is then
opened with your preferred web browser.

This interface is based on the emacs principle of typing as few characters
as possible to perform tasks that are done frequently. I find myself
looking things up in various applications all of the time and the overhead
of creating a new browser window, selecting a bookmark, clicking into the
text entry field, entering the text and then pressing submit struck me as
tremendously inefficient.

The expectation is that you'll configure your window manager to launch
lookuplet at the press of some key combination so that from any
application, you can simply highlight text, press the lookuplet key
combination and then press the key combination of your desired service.
With such a configuration, the process of looking up information becomes
extremely efficient in terms of key presses and mouse clicks.

The key combinations used by lookuplet and the associated launch
configuration are maintained via a simple graphical user interface.

Building lookuplet
------------------

Look at the INSTALL file for build instructions.


GNOME Note
----------

Originally this program was a GNOME applet that lived in the GNOME
toolbar. Then I decided that sitting around consuming large amounts of
memory waiting while doing nothing wasn't such a good idea. So I modified
the code to operate as a standalone program (and added the selection
grabbing which turned out to be way more useful anyway).

However, the code difference is extremely small and there are some
vestiges in the build framework that support building and installing
lookuplet as an applet. If someone were keen enough on having applet
support, it would be pretty easy to make that a compile-time configuration
option.

Distribution
------------

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
any later version.

Contact Information
-------------------

Feedback on the program is welcome. Additional information and the latest
release is available at <http://www.waywardgeeks.org/code/lookuplet/>.

Enjoy,

    Michael Bayne <mdb@samskivert.com>

$Id: README,v 1.3 2001/08/16 20:41:10 mdb Exp $