QOTW: "Jump in and don't look back, you'll be flying before you know
it." - Mark Smithfield
"... [I]n robust software engineering it is paranoia that wins!" - Donal
K. Fellows
POTW: The State Machine Compiler can produce Tcl output.
http://smc.sf.net
subst can help Tcl source appear to be a block-structured
language--but it's not one, and there are specific hazards
in thinking otherwise.
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/cc8f8de29099e0c1/
The same thread mentions that [option add] has slightly
more syntactic power than Xrdb.
Michael Cleverly lucidly exemplifies one of the ways Tcl
can take your breath away, this time by providing a
remarkably expressive framework for parsing data that has
no apparent connection with the language.
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/d1f386899ab78510/
More impressive, though, is that Michael and others give
at least four alternative approaches to the parsing problem,
all of which Melissa Schrumpf trumps with her expertise in
TestStand.
How did the ancients of the twentieth century manage time?
Remember that The Source is always available.
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/ad645b04468a3108/
Thanks to Arjen Markus for his so-accurate summary of Wiki activity:
As life is too short for complicated syntax (which is why we
all adore Tcl), and the days are shorter still in this time
of year on the northern hemisphere, let us no longer linger
but go ahead with the Wiki's summary
Small experiments
- Special effects with text on the canvas:
<http://wiki.tcl.tk/3529> and <http://wiki.tcl.tk/14953>
show what you can do (but not necessary must)
- Can we please get rid of braces? Yes, we can ...
<http://wiki.tcl.tk/3499> shows several ways
Big experiment
- Ratcl has its own page on our dear Wiki and
it has a Wiki of its own. But then it is a
brain child of none other than JCW ...
<http://wiki.tcl.tk/14263>
Beyond experiments
- Do not waste time on syntax. That is why we
have Tcl ... <http://wiki.tcl.tk/9992>
- One of the many development environments
... <http://wiki.tcl.tk/11881>
- Enter a date and it will always be
valid - <http://wiki.tcl.tk/3807>
- Alive and kicking, all Scotty needs
is more exposure and a reassuring page
each year - <http://wiki.tcl.tk/12640>
Everything Tcl-related you want is probably one or two clicks away in these
pages:
The "Welcome to comp.lang.tcl" message by Andreas Kupries
http://www.purl.org/net/tcl-welcome
comp.lang.tcl is a crucial resource for Tcl practitioners.
An interesting perspective on its traffic appears at
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/about
The Tcl Developer Site is Tcl's "home base".
http://www.tcl.tk
Larry Virden maintains a comp.lang.tcl FAQ launcher.
http://www.purl.org/NET/Tcl-FAQ/
The Tcl Developer Xchange is a highly organized resource center
of documents and software with provisions for individuals to
maintain references to their own software:
http://www.tcl.tk/resource/
The TDX sponsor, ActiveState, also keeps info to convince your
boss Tcl is a good thing
http://www.tcl.tk/scripting/
The Tcl'ers Wiki is a huge, dynamic, collaboratively edited repository
of documentation, examples, tutorials and pontifications on all things
Tcl.
http://wiki.tcl.tk/0
For the ideal overview of the topics about Tcl most likely to
interest a newcomer, see "Arts and Crafts ..."
http://wiki.tcl.tk/969
ActiveState maintains binaries distribution and development tools
http://www.activestate.com/Tcl
along with a Cookbook of Tcl recipes
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Tcl
deli.cio.us presents an intriguing approach to reference commentary.
It already aggregates quite a bit of Tcl intelligence.
http://del.icio.us/tag/tcl
Cameron Laird tracks several Tcl/Tk references of interest
http://phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.tcl/
Cetus Links maintains a Tcl/Tk page with verified links
http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_tcl_tk.html
"Yahoo! Groups" archives comp.lang.tcl.announce posts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tcl_announce/
Previous - (U)se the (R)esource, (L)uke! - messages are listed here:
http://www.ddj.com/topics/tclurl/
An alternative is
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_q=+Tcl-URL&as_ugroup=comp.lang.tcl
Suggestions/corrections for next week's posting are always welcome.
To receive a new issue of this posting in e-mail each Monday, ask
<[email protected]> to subscribe. Be sure to mention "Tcl-URL!".
--
Dr. Dobb's Journal (http://www.ddj.com) is pleased to participate in and
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