mdb
56b294cdec
git-svn-id: https://samskivert.googlecode.com/svn/trunk@298 6335cc39-0255-0410-8fd6-9bcaacd3b74c
73 lines
2.7 KiB
Plaintext
73 lines
2.7 KiB
Plaintext
lookuplet
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This GNOME application provides a unified interface for looking things up.
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There are many applications (desktop and web-based) in which you enter
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some text and they return some information based on that text. Examples
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include:
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* Looking a word up in a dictionary
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* Performing a web search
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* Performing a more specific search (searching Debian packages or on
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freshmeat.net, etc.)
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* Looking up an address in a mapping service
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The lookuplet aims to make all of those services readily accessible in as
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efficient a manner as possible.
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Using lookuplet
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---------------
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When invoked, lookuplet grabs the current selection and sticks it into a
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text field for potential editing. You then press a key combination that
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you have previously configured and the text is sent either as an argument
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to an application or URL encoded and substituted into a URL which is then
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opened with your preferred web browser.
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This interface is based on the emacs principle of typing as few characters
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as possible to perform tasks that are done frequently. I find myself
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looking things up in various applications all of the time and the overhead
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of creating a new browser window, selecting a bookmark, clicking into the
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text entry field, entering the text and then pressing submit struck me as
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tremendously inefficient.
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The expectation is that you'll configure your window manager to launch
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lookuplet at the press of some key combination so that from any
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application, you can simply highlight text, press the lookuplet key
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combination and then press the key combination of your desired service.
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With such a configuration, the process of looking up information becomes
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extremely efficient in terms of key presses and mouse clicks.
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lookuplet can also be loaded into the GNOME toolbar as an applet instead
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of being run standalone. In that configuration it doesn't grab the
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selection when it starts up, but instead assumes you'll be pasting text
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into it's text field before pressing a key combination.
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The key combinations used by lookuplet and the associated launch
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configuration are maintained via a simple graphical user interface.
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Building lookuplet
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------------------
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Look at the INSTALL file for build instructions.
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Distribution
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------------
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This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
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under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
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Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
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any later version.
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Contact Information
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-------------------
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Feedback on the program is welcome. Additional information and the latest
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release is available at <http://www.waywardgeeks.org/code/lookuplet/>.
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Enjoy,
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Michael Bayne <mdb@samskivert.com>
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$Id: README,v 1.4 2001/08/18 02:39:36 mdb Exp $
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