Subject: Dr. Dobb's Tcl-URL! - weekly Tcl news and links (Nov 15)
From: Cameron Laird
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 13:31:49 +0000
To: "Dr. Dobb's Tcl-URL distribution" :;
CC:
Newsgroups: comp.lang.tcl

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.

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