Some new XyWWWeb programs

[Robert Holmgren holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

Note about some new Xy4|XyWin programs on XyWWWeb

http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/
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XyWWWeb has changed constantly during May. There are many recent
additions and revisions. A few things from my (RJH) corner during
the last day or three:

"SideBySide" (SBS.PM) enables concurrent editing, in two separate windows,
of two *separate* instances of the same file -- both fully editable, both
SAvable. There is no legerdemain (we do NOT manipulate one original and
one copy, but rather two "views" of the selfsame file). You can juxtapose
the two windows as you please, e.g. in "side-by-side" windows, or in two
full screens. You can edit two different spots in the file. One window
could be in graphics (WZ) mode, the other in eXPanded mode -- SBS doesn't
care and doesn't interfere. SBS does more than simply overcome the
fundamental Xy4 illegality of opening two editable instances of the same
file; it also ensures (100%) that the current window is up-to-date and
"synchronized", i.e. reflects edits previously made in the other window or
to itself. Concurrent editing is on many XyWrite wishlists.

"Sweep" (SWEEP.PM) was suggested by the 1980s DOS utility SWEEP.COM. Sweep
recursively executes XyWrite commands or programs in the current directory
and all of its subdirectories. Although conceptually simple, Sweep has
high power, due to its tolerance of different types of input. You can
execute ordinary XyWrite commands, e.g. SEarch for a string in files (in
which case, Sweep pauses after each execution to display results); you can
execute small CMline programs using the XMACRO format; you can execute XPL
code that is DeFined in text; or you can execute large XPL programs simply
by hardcoding them in a reserved Save/Get. Examples are offered in the
Help file, ranging from simple
 sweep dir *.doc
or
 sweep [SX01,[VA$WA]],BXfunc #[PV01]Q2BCse *|Robert:|,XCBX(ab/nv)
to a very sophisticated program (HLINKS.PM by Carl Distefano) that extracts
a list of links from an HTML document and stores it in a separate document
in either HTML or XyWrite format (the latter for execution from XyWrite via
frame "URL" or another frame of your devising). HLINKS produces a classy
digest of individual HTML documents; running HLINKS as a child of SWEEP
from the root directory will swiftly generate link summaries for every HTML
document on your drive!

XMACRO.PM by Carl Distefano is required by SWEEP. XMACRO enables the
execution of XPL code on the CMline, in the KeyBoarD file, or just DeFined
in text. XMACRO is much more than "a III+ amenity restored" (as XMACRO
Help says). Whereas KBD-file programming in 3+ was conceptually crabbed
and procedurally labored; with XMACRO, it's a snap. Imagine: little
programs embedded in your KBD file, e.g. that slap SEarch templates on the
CMline:
 nn=XHJM,2,.,P,r,s,K,b,d,A,r,g,Q2,x,m, ,B,C,s,e, ,/,/,CO,C,L,[,E,X,],NO
Easy to understand and use. A slightly revised version is newly posted at
XyWWWeb.

I've been reexamining the Microlytics and Signature (PCLEX) dictionaries
and thesauri lately. A superior alternative frame for the PCLEX thesaurus
is posted, together with a frame that toggles between Microlytics and
PCLEX, so that you can consult them both in tandem, within the same session.
The PCLEX thesaurus offers an interesting choice of words, as well as
foreign languages. Finally, there is a detailed text file describing the
environmental prerequisites to enable the Microlytics British speller in
Xy4-DOS. There is even a program (USUK.PM, for those of us who are dual
citizens) that toggles between American and British spellers within a
single Xy4 session. The British Microlytics speller works well in XyWin,
BTW, but you can't toggle UK-US dictionaries. Unfortunately, PCLEX does
not work in XyWin at all (AFAIK).



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Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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