Subject: Dr. Dobb's Tcl-URL! - weekly Tcl news and links (Jun 20)
From: Uwe Klein
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:00:51 +0000
To: "Dr. Dobb's Tcl-URL distribution" :;
CC:
Newsgroups: comp.lang.tcl

QOTW:  "It seems as if the REAL tcl programmers learned their craft from an
on-line source.  A colleague of mine, Laszlo who is a UNIX programmer in
Szombathely, Hungary never picked up a TCL book, but can write some
wonderful scripts used on our FIS (factory information system).  I'll send
him an e-mail and tell him I'm finally taking his advice on TCL.  He'll be
very happy." - ajocius on c.l.t in reply to a CARE packet from Cameron Laird .

"Who needs wizards in a language without magic?" - Richard Suchenwirth


POTW:
    ANNOUNCE: Tcl Plugin v3.1 by Jeffrey Hobbs
    Tcl/Tk web browser plugin for Internet Explorer and NPAPI browsers
    (Firefox, Mozilla, ...) 

    The Tcl web browser plugin has been updated to v3.1.  The major updates
    are modifications to the install architecture that breaks out the
    plugin runtime library to allow users to modify their plugin
    configuration more easily at runtime.  In addtion, the ActiveX host
    control was fixed to allow the plugin to work correctly in multiple
    simultaneous IE toplevel windows.
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/e84794196f3ac1dd
    download:
	http://www.tcl.tk/software/plugin/
    wikiref:
	http://wiki.tcl.tk/12718

    ANNOUNCE: TOXFile 0.1 - cross-platform file manager by Steve Huntley
    TOXFile has many of the basic features of a good file explorer:
    tree-view directory pane plus list-view contents pane, toolbar, address
    bar, right-click context menus, multiple file selection drag and drop,
    a simple text file viewer/editor and file search.
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/97340661235a71ea
    Download: 
	http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=17456

    ANNOUNCE: Nagelfar and Eskil by Peter Spjuth
    Nagelfar and Eskil have gotten new homes, and new releases, at Berlios.

    Nagelfar is a syntax checker for Tcl, written in Tcl.

    Apart from its checking abilities, one of its main features is that
    it is extensible. You can add to the syntax database, or let the tool
    use Tcl's introspection to extract syntax information from any Tcl
    interpreter. Thus you can test scripts for applications using Tcl as
    script language.
    It can also help with Code Coverage analysis.
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/fdf9216da2df1400
    Nagelfar:
	homepage & download:
	    http://nagelfar.berlios.de/
	wikiref:
	    http://wiki.tcl.tk/nagelfar
    Eskil:
	homepage & download:
	    http://eskil.berlios.de/
	wikiref:
	    http://wiki.tcl.tk/eskil

    ANNOUNCE: eTcl 1.0-rc7 released by Eric Hassold
    I'm pleased to announce immediate availability of eTcl 1.0-rc7 for
    Windows, Linux-x86, Linux-ARM, Windows Mobile (2003, 2003SE and 5.0)
    pocketPC and smartphones, and Mac OS X (Aqua) as universal binary
    (x86 and PPC).  New in this release:
     - Windows Mobile available as a compact (Tcl/Tk core, with support
       for Zip VFS, wce, and few others small extensions), standard
       (same plus pixane and sqlite), and full (i.e. batteries-included)
       versions, to fit different memory footprint constraints. Compact
       version is 1.8MB large, and 850kb large if UPX compressed.
     - A new arm-linux port
     - Improved MacOSX port, with support for starting Tcl scripts from
       Finder using double-clicks
     - Up to date 3rd parties packages (sqlite 3.3.6, ...)
     - Improved shape package, with support for applying mask to
       scene (OpenGL views) widgets
     - dict backport added
     - updated custom toolchain for building Linux binaries
     - Many bugs fixes and code optimization
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/23ac9a8be4ec013e
    homepage:
	http://www.evolane.com/
    download:
	http://www.evolane.com/software/etcl/index.html
    comments,feedback:
	http://wiki.tcl.tk/15260
	http://wiki.tcl.tk/eTcl


ORBI: or what happened on comp.lang.tcl
    Tcl8.5 roadmap
    steep and windy roads unsung:
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/762e5d50a5cdccf7

    Sixth European Tcl/Tk Users Meeting - Papers online
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/8f1f1daec3531e9b

    tcl and threads: installing and other info
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/48b6877a2afe9a51

    Text Parser
    Massage Parlor for  bits and bytes and characters:
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/1a9aa74fd397070a

    Is Android still maintained?
    Dreaming of electric sheep and TkXext, voices from the past give help:
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/d966c2dfef19484c

    problem with gpg password
    or the story of expect and pulling the rug prematurely:
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/444ae9ce88c3570f
    
URBI: or what happened on comp.lang.tcl this week TEN years ago:
    ANNOUNCE: TkCon v0.40 (beta) - Enhanced Tk Console
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/9aa34dd888938095

    URGENT: Tcl/Tk group @ Sun Microsystems looking for Testimonials
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/fcbff24d4874639b

    parallel processes in TCL/TK
    Q: is the mentioned socket stuff connected to the socket lib used for  
    Arizona Radio Observatory:SMT on Mt. Graham, Arizona? 
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/a3b06d8cbadb09d1

    CDE Style Manager & tcl/tk colors
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/ef44bd3f172bb3e9


BAHH: lost sheep and no help:
    How to propagate non-blocking inter-thread error return?
	http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.tcl/browse_thread/thread/8da659031af1184f


Thanks to Arjen Markus for his review of Wiki updates:
  Just a few weeks and we will be in the middle of the year
  again ... Holidays for a fairly large part of the globe.
  But until then: the summary.
  
  From simple to complex ...
  - Can this pure-Tcl console editor be the beginning
    of an enhanced command-line interface on Linux?
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/11820> is a nice editor if
    nothing else.
  
  - Tired of windows with a boring rectangular shape?
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/13409> lets you pick your
    own shape for them.
  
  - Well, flat screens may be the current fashion,
    but we do want to see three-dimensional pictures 
    on them. Have a go at <http://wiki.tcl.tk/15278>
    or discuss it on <http://wiki.tcl.tk/16057>
  
  Tools 
  - Scrolling several widgets at a time? 
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/9254> shows the principle
    for lists but you can use it in other contexts
    too.
  
  - Do have you trouble managing your disk space?
    Maybe this can help out - http://wiki.tcl.tk/16048>
  
  - Do you know the browser plugin? You may not know 
    its history though - <http://wiki.tcl.tk/12718>
    gives some background.
  
  Online
  - Network management needs clever solutions sometimes ...
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/11108> refers to a white paper
    about it - and Tcl is involved.
  
  - The sixth European Tcl/Tk users' meeting was held
    last month, but for anybody who wants them, the
    papers are now online: <http://wiki.tcl.tk/13567>
  
  

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
    There's also a high-quality Wikibook on Tcl:
        http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Programming:Tcl

    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 (but
    needs to validate many of the links).
        http://phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.tcl/

    Years ago, Cetus Links maintained a Tcl/Tk page with verified links
        http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_tcl_tk.html

    "Yahoo! Groups" archives comp.lang.tcl.announce posts--even 
    though clta itself is dormant.
        http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tcl_announce/

Previous - (U)se the (R)esource, (L)uke! - messages are supposed to be
listed at *Dr. Dobbs*, but sysad at CMP has fallen behind.  We're working
with them to restore the archive.
  http://www.ddj.com/topic/tcl/
In the meantime, 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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