[REBOL] Re: [REBOL.org] [repack] quick info
From: maximo::meteorstudios::com at: 29-Apr-2004 13:32
hi ppl,
just thought I'd give you a little primer on how to use repack.
-start by runnning it (from the web or downloaded).
-you will see the ui is separated in 5:
* a header
* a "package" browser pane
* the package specification/download setup pane
* the message box (which prints rebol package and version, by default)
* and the command bar (which only has "close" button in v1.01)
- pressing refresh in "packages" pane will list all current packages
- clicking on a package, will list its content in the "specification" pane.
- for each file in the package you will get all of its meta info like date
and version, name and dir.
- the engine also looks into the current install dir to see if the listed files
exist or have changed. depending on this info, checkboxes are automatically
setup, and a visual cue in color is given to say if the file is:
* (N)ew
* (C)hanged
* (S)ame
* has (D)irectory problems
- the files which contain an install sub-directory will create these paths
by themselves, no need to create them beforehand.
- you can change the install path by typing it or by clicking on "..." to
browse your disks.
* this browser renames, resizes, creates dirs, and deletes files directly.
* clicking on the left-most part of directories will move you there in one click
* clicking on the right-most part will select them for editing (rename or delete)
* alt-clicking (usually the right mouse button) will select a file or dir.
* alt-clicking on an item which is already selected will show a field gadget.
~ typing a new name will effectively rename that file on disk. NO CONFIRM.
~ pressing esc, cancels the field and rename and puts things back like
they where.
* any bad path will refresh the ui with red checkmarks and give an error message.
- ALL KNOWN ERRORS are trapped and visual feedback is given. In fact a handy alert box
even allows you to browse the rebol.org package help page directly.
- While downloading, a progress indicator tells you how many bytes have been xfered so
far.
* don't worry if the info is a little bit queer, its been fixed in the next version
(yet unreleased ).
- pressing on the application's "close" while downloading is actually a way to stop a
download, but be sure to close rebol's console window too, or the download still runs
in the bg. (again, in forthcoming version, there is an explicit stop! button).
- the refresh button in specification pane once a package spec is loaded, will rebuild
the spec pane. It should have virtually no use, unless you change your disk files
in a separate task (you browse to the install dir in an explorer and delete stuff).
- also note that if you do include a package in a package, repack, although listing it
in the top-level package spec, can not download it within the context of the top
package recursively ... for now, you have to go to the other package and download it
separately... user demand and actual use case will speed-up the feature's appearance.
- I hope I didn't forget any thing
-repack is the result of 8 weeks of evening work (not all of them being fun ;-). This
includes creating glayout (from scratch), slim-link (from scratch), upgrading slim, the
actual repack application (from scratch) and would not have been possible without the
ever supportive help of sunanda, who always fixed issues and easily agreed to torture
the lds system internals to support my whimsical desires for repack ... like the next
version's fix for download progression...
------- NEXT VERSION -------
look out for the up and comming repack v1.1.0... it adds a few new tricks:
- run time cancel of a download.
- better real-time download stats
- a log viewer for all posted messages on the message bar (cause they pass by so fast
on high-speed connections).
------- ABOUT REPACK'S CONSTITUENT PARTS -------
repack was built using glayout, slim, lds-local.r (slimed) , and slim-link to link it
all up into one file. People curious about glayout should try out repack. Note that
glayout (and repack) works in all versions of rebol starting at v1.2.1 (last official
rebol/view release version :-) up to beta 1.2.41 which I tested (and beyond?).
also note that glayout has a new file browser which is (obviously) being used in repack.r,
cause window's browser (cause it only operates in load or save mode) is simply frustrating
to support.
All comments welcome, as it'll help me focus on things which nag you first and foremost.
I am in the process of creating docs for glayout, slim-link, liquid and an update for
slim, but it takes time (a lot). Especially since I thought a complete site redesign
was in order. I'll give updates when things start appearing live.
have fun!
-MAx
---
Given time, this string will become GBs of wasted bandwith
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
[SunandaDH--aol--com] [mailto:
[SunandaDH--aol--com]]
> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 9:40 AM
> To:
[rebol-list--rebol--com]
> Subject: [REBOL] [REBOL.org] [ANN] Packages: the next generation
>
> Back in February, we unveiled some basic support for
> *packages* in the Script
> Library (i.e. multi-file applications)....
>
>
http://www.rebol.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/rebol/ml-display-message.
> r?m=rmlMTXQ
>
> ....And we ran a competition, and got lots of useful
> feedback. Thanks again,
> everyone.
>
> Another positive result was that Maxim joined the Library
> team, and that has
> resulted in some serious upgrading of our ability to support
> packages.....
>
> No competition, this time: just a note about what is new, and
> the usual open
> door for feedback, requests and comments.
>
> NEW DOWNLOADER AND INSTALLER
>
> Maxim's repack.r replaces the original
> get-you-started-installer. It's a neat
> piece of software you'll want to see running even if you
> don't want to
> install any packages:
>
> do
http://www.rebol.org/library/public/repack.r
>
> Right now it's View only (that will change), so use the
> original downloader
> if you are running under Core:
>
> do
http://www.rebol.org/library/public/lds-package-downloader.r
>
> BETTER PACKAGE STRUCTURE
>
> The original release supported only packages that were a
> bundle of files, and
> had to be downloaded and installed into a single folder.
>
> That was pretty restricted. Packages now can consist of:
>
> -- a collection of files, as before
> -- existing scripts from the Library (no need to upload them as part
> of your package. Just flag them as part of it)
> -- other packages
>
> And any file or script in a package can be installed into any
> sub-folder of
> the installation folder.
>
> We think that pretty much caters for any complex multi-file
> application you'd
> like to publish at REBOL.org. Give it a go if you have such
> a thing, and if
> you hit a limitation, please let us know. For more details
> on creating and
> uploading packages:
>
>
http://www.rebol.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/rebol/boiler.r?display=co
ns-upload-packag
e-files-help.html
Sunanda.
