Re: [Jmol-developers] an XML based scripting language

[Peter Murray-R. <pm...@ca...>]

At 14:32 30/10/2003 +0100, E.L. Willighagen (Egon) wrote:

>To Miguel, and all (see below),
>
>
>To all:
>
>below is a first draft of a XML based scripting language. The examples below
>don't have any schema yet, but it will have one when things become a bit more
>solid. I intend to make all script command elements empty.
>
>This is the time to make script command requests and post any issues you have
>with other script languages.

It could be useful to look at scripting languages in XML. What come to mind 
are:
- ant
- bpel4ws
- SMIL
and
- svg
- xslt

Next,
do you wish the language to have constructs like if, loop, break etc.

Also do you wish to have a persistent data structure (for logs, displays, 
repeats, etc.)

Personally I prefer to see XML elements as objects rather than verbs, as 
this may make it easier to create Java classes mapping onto them. I would 
prefer to see
<axis rotate="..."/>

or use the SVG-like:
<axis>
   <rotate/>
</axis>

from my point of view it makes it easier to map onto CML objects
<molecule rotate="..."/>
etc.

>animate X -> <animate command="X"/>
>         e.g. <animate command="play"/>
>background <color> -> <background color="colorExpression"/>
>color {<object>} <color> -> <color object="X" color="colorExpression">
>         where X = atoms|labels|bonds|axes
>cpk <boolean> -> <set field="cpk" value="on"/>
>         on|true|yes
>cpk <value> ->  <cpk percentage="90"/> | <cpk rasmolUnit="50"/>
>define <var> <expression> -> <define variable="X" expression="Y"/>
>delay {<delaytime}} -> <delay/> | <delay seconds="5"/>
>echo <string> -> <echo message="Hello Jmol user"/>
>exit -> <exit/>
>label <boolean> -> <set field="label" value="on"/>
>         see cpk <boolean>
>label <string> -> <label expression="%a"/>
>load {<format>} <filename> -> <load file="some.pdb"/>
>load {<format>} <url> -> <load format="pdb" url="http://sf.net/stream.cgi"/>
>loop {<delaytime>} -> <loop/> | <loop seconds="5"/>
>monitor <number> <number> -> <monitor distance="num1 num2"/>
>monitor <num> <num> <num> -> <monitor angle="num1 num2 num3"/>
>monitor <num> <num> <num> <num> -> <monitor dihedral="num1 num2 num3 num4"/>
>move  <xRot> <yRot> <zRot> <zoom> <xTrans> <yTrans> <zTrans> <slab> <time>
>{<FPS>} {<MaxAccel>} -> <move rotateX="60" zoomFactor="200" translateX="5"
>time="3"/>
>         this might better be done differently, by using loops? see also 
> rotate
>quit -> <quit/>
>refresh -> <refresh/>
>reset -> <reset/>
>rotate <axis> <value> -> <rotate axis="x" angle="60"/>
>script <filename|url> -> <script format="chime" url="http://some.where/"/>
>select {<expression>} -> <select expression="*"/>
>set <parameter> <value> -> <set field="param" value="value"/>
>         see also label and cpk
>slab <boolean> -> <set field="slab" value="on"/>
>slab <percentage> -> <slab percentage="56"/>
>spacefill -> <set field="cpk" value="on"/>
>translate <axis> <value> -> translate axis="x" angle="6"/>
>wireframe <boolean> -> <set field="wireframe" value="on"/>
>wireframe <value> -> <wireframe value="40"/>
>zap -> <zap/>
>zoom <boolean> -> <set field="zoom" value="on"/>
>zoom <value> -> zoom value="40"/>
>
>Because an XML doc needs a root element, commands are wrapped in a <script>
>element:
>
><script xmlns="http://jmol.sf.net/schema/jmolscript">
>   <zap/>
>   <load url="http://www.matrix.org/aceticAcid.cml"/>
>   <set field="cpk" value="true"/>
>   <monitor angle="1 2 3"/>
></script>
>
>Note that expressions are not XML-ized... is that worth doing it? Would it be
>required in the first version of the scripting language?

Where are the expressions? I assume you are concerned about whether there 
is a need for microparsing. It's always a balance.

P.