On Thu, 25 Jan 2001, Elwood Downey wrote:
Hi Domjan,
Em, hi! :)
I think this is an excellent idea. Let me see if I understand it.
The proposal is to add a config file of pathnames (to fifos) and
labels (that show up in the Sky View popup). But I wonder what is the
message content XEphem sends to the fifo? Did you have in mind the
same .edb string currently sent to xephem_loc_fifo? If so, the value
of the proposal would seem to be the ability to target different apps,
but does not seem to include an ability to send different information.
Yes, that is exactly what I had in mind. I think that the standard
.edb string contains enough information.
If one could also configure the data /content/ it increases the
utility even further. My idea for that would be to make another Tool,
similar to the List/Plot/Solve tools. All of these tools can
temporarily transform the data fields throughout XEphem into buttons
that let the user choose a set of fields for use by the Tool. A new
"Fifo" Tool could do the same: one could choose the fields one wishes
sent to the fifo. The final format could be each chosen field
formatted exactly as it appears under normal operation separated by a
newline (or tab, or comma -- that too could be configurable!).
That would really be great at least for 'fifo script developers' but
raw configuration would still have to be simple enough so that users
who are installing already made scripts could easily add needed lines
in config file.
On the other hand, creating a fifo script is not something you would
do every day so maybe even a simple 'vi' and README file would do.
If someone can write a perl script / C program than he/she shouldn't
have problems with manual configuration.
Now some issues occur to me. Ironically, defining the fifo content by
selecting fields does not offer a way to specify "send the .edb line"
because there is no field in XEphem that shows this line. Perhaps
there should be (anyway), or perhaps this particular format choice
could be handled as a special case selection within the Fifo tool.
That could be handy as .edb format is, well... standard. :)
It also seems a little limiting that the only way to cause the fifo
message to be generated is manually via the Sky View popup. I wonder
if there are other places and/or events that could also trigger the
generation of the message? If these could be identified, then that too
would be another aspect of configuring the Fifo.
Moon/Mars/Earth/Solar system. Links to CCD pictures in Moon View,
asteroid / commet information in Solar system... Solution from
equation solver...
Maybe even from the main loop (something like list values, just tu fifo).
I think I will stop here and get feedback from the group before
exploring this any further on my own. It does seem to have the
potential to become an exceptionally flexible (and hence powerful)
idea. In the spirit of UNIX, it greatly expands how XEphem can
function and participate as a tool, rather than be a relatively
isolated entity. And I like that very much.
When I transferd from DOS to linux one of the first really nice
surprises was that there _is_ a really good astronomy software for
unix. And in Xephem the idea that shocked me the most was the idea
of fifo communication because it was, as a philosophy, completely
new to me. You just don't see that kind of stuff in DOS or windows
programs. It really is a unix philosophy, and a powerful one.
Well, enough from me. I should probably let prefessionals handle it
from here. :)
And 10x for the _really_ great soft!
-_
DoS / /~
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