mdb
7ffbdcdfa5
git-svn-id: https://samskivert.googlecode.com/svn/trunk@287 6335cc39-0255-0410-8fd6-9bcaacd3b74c
84 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
84 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
lookuplet
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---------
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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, the lookuplet grabs the current selection and sticks it into
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a 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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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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GNOME Note
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----------
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Originally this program was a GNOME applet that lived in the GNOME
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toolbar. Then I decided that sitting around consuming large amounts of
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memory waiting while doing nothing wasn't such a good idea. So I modified
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the code to operate as a standalone program (and added the selection
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grabbing which turned out to be way more useful anyway).
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However, the code difference is extremely small and there are some
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vestiges in the build framework that support building and installing
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lookuplet as an applet. If someone were keen enough on having applet
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support, it would be pretty easy to make that a compile-time configuration
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option.
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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 1.3 2001/08/16 20:41:10 mdb Exp $
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