Re: [rox-devel] feature request: AppDir app argument prompting.

[Keith R. J. W. <kr...@op...>]

* Matthew Weier OPhinney <wei...@gr...> [18/06/2003 1456EDT]:
> -- Keith R. John Warno <kr...@op...> wrote
[...]
> > I currently use a combination of (1) and (2), but it feels like a hack.
> > To me it seems more natural to have the gui prompting stuff built into
> > the Filer, implemented as another attribute to the <Item> tag.  Wrapper
> > scripts would be easier to write & look and feel would be consistent.
> 
> Sounds to me like what you need is for the AppInfo.xml to be able to
> have the following:
> 
> <PromptForArgs>
> <Item option="-v">Be verbose</Item>
> <Item option="-V">Be quiet</Item>
> <Item option="-R">Recurse</Item>
> </PromptForArgs>
>
> and then have the AppDir build a dialog with radio buttons/checkboxes
> for each Item (with the text being displayed), and, based on what the
> user selects, pass the option values back to the script.

Hmm this is a good idea.  It could possibly work like
ROX-{Filer,Session}'s Options.xml, which as we know is used to construct
the gui for their options dialogs.  This might be something for the long
term.

Right now I'm only after something built into the filer that is
effectively just a gtk_entry widget that takes arbitrary input from the
user and passes it as arguments to the AppDir app.  Something like:

<AppMenu>
<!-- commonly used options, accessible via right-click -->
<Item label="verbose" option="-v"/>
<Item label="whatever" option="-w"/>
<!-- prompt user for args; right-click appdir and select this
  to launch ROX-Filer "arg requester".  ROX-Filer would pass
  specified args to AppRun -->
<Item label="specify arguments..." prompt_for_args/>
</AppMenu>

Furthermore, it would be useful to have
some_keyboard_modifier+mouse_click launch this argument requester.  I'm
in text mode right now (no ROX. :/) but as far as I know it is not
possible to have keyboard shortcuts for AppRun options.  Another
nice-to-have. :)

> I like this idea -- could really simplify AppDir creation.
> 
> HOWEVER... You might want to check out AppFactory (it's listed on the
> rox website under Software). It uses ROX-CLib, and can create AppDirs
> based on input you give it: path to executable, icon, and path to help
> file(s). At the end, when you create the AppDir, it allows you to
> "prompt for arguments". If this is checked, when you run the newly
> created AppDir, it will open a dialog with a simple text widget for
> entering any arguments you wish to add.
[...]

I will take a look at this.  Thanks for the suggestion.

krjw.
-- 
Keith R. John Warno                  [k r j w  at  optonline dot net]
The words stuck in  my mind\ Alive from what I've  learned\ I have to
seize the day
       -- Dream Theater, "A Change of Seasons"