Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!bbn!drilex!dricejb From: dricejb@drilex.UUCP (Craig Jackson drilex1) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: Communications Toolbox questions Message-ID: <6576@drilex.UUCP> Date: 6 Dec 89 15:30:37 GMT References: <9125@hoptoad.uucp> <36869@apple.Apple.COM> <37000@apple.Apple.COM> Reply-To: dricejb@drilex.UUCP (Craig Jackson drilex1) Organization: DRI/McGraw-Hill, Lexington, MA Lines: 48 In article <37000@apple.Apple.COM> austing@Apple.COM (Glenn L. Austin) writes: >In article time@oxtrap.UUCP writes: >> >>Re: Selecting the transfer mode (i.e. TEXT MacBinary etc.)... >> >>I have a program which uploads automatically, sometimes without user >>interaction. I do not even use SFGetFile() to obtain the SFReply, I >>fill it in. If I had to interact every time or select mode via dialogs >>every time, I could not do what I wanted. >> >>Not every use of the CTB is a terminal emulator or BBS program. > >I agree 100%. A scripting language also has the same "feature", in other >words, you can specify a file name for the file before the transfer starts. >All that you need to know about a tool is the format and content of the >configuration string, which is pretty simple -- parameter and value, separated >by a space, and all parameter-value pairs are separated with a space - pretty >easy, huh? Oh, you don't even have to specify all of the parameters and values, >only the parameter and value you are interested in changing! Which still leaves the problem of having to know about the configuration string syntax of all possible tools which may be selected. I think there's an obligation on Apple's part here to at least suggest some stronger guidelines than 'parameter-value pairs'. It seems that the CommToolBox designers are expecting developers of existing scripting languages to do violence to their previous product appearance by exposing the configuration strings to the script-writer. It is far more likely that developers of such products will hard-code knowledge of the configuration strings used in the sample tools, so that the program can retain its previous interface. Possibly, they may expose the config strings in an 'Advanced User' interface. If they do not, the variety of the useful CommToolBox tools will be diminished. Because of existing scripting languages, standardization of configuration strings will occur. Wouldn't it be wiser, and more Apple-like as well, to offer some guidelines as to their contents? >| Glenn L. Austin | "Have you ever danced with the devil in | >| Communications Toolbox Hacker | in the pale moonlight?" -The Joker | >| Apple Computer, Inc. | "You made me!" -Batman | >| Internet: austing@apple.com | | -- Craig Jackson dricejb@drilex.dri.mgh.com {bbn,axiom,redsox,atexnet,ka3ovk}!drilex!{dricej,dricejb}