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Re: lynx-dev TRST : see LHFB


From: Philip Webb
Subject: Re: lynx-dev TRST : see LHFB
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 03:45:04 -0500 (EST)

991110 Klaus Weide wrote: 
PW> Supported URLs doesn't tell the user
PW> how to get the script to process a file from Lynx;
PW> HN's example had no input from Lynx or from any file.
> So you may want to add some links to the usual places for CGI info.

which are ... ?
 
PW> Supported URLs warns users not to use lynxcgi outside strict limits:
>>    This is a Lynxism and should be used only in local documents
>>    intended solely for Lynx, or for limited local testing of CGI
>>    scripts without an http server.
> Are these strict limits?

sounds pretty strict to me.
 
PW> i don't believe lynxcgi is what is needed for my purpose.
> I find 'G', ^A, x, <enter> more convenient than your key sequence.

presumably, the document is already on-screen when you discover the tables
& if it's serious (eg for your work), you want to print it to a file:
the extra keystrokes are  \  n  (ie the print-screen link number),
plus  g  & the URL if you want to re-view the cleaned-up result.
moreover, anyone can use it: you don't need to know even awk,
let alone the eccentricities of lynxcgi & CERN-style rules.

of course, it should be a single Lynx key to switch to TableSoup.
Joe User can't & shouldn't be expected to know how to write scripts
nor how to get them to work with Lynx: JU isn't a programmer or sysadmin.

> you've got my script using sed (which didn't work for you),
                                                    ^^^^^^^
it produced error messages from the awk software on our system.
i'm sorry, but after this exercise i'm left with the impression
that i've discovered a tiny area in which you aren't an expert (smile):
it looks as if you don't know the differences between sed & awk.
sed is limited to processing whole lines one at a time:
it can't separate lines into fields for sequential processing
nor define variables to be retained from line to line;
hence, it can't handle nested tables, as my awk script does.

> You've got an awk script that reportedly works for you.
                                ^^^^^^^^^^
i hope you don't question the accuracy of my report ... (smile pending)

> What's the problem in replacing that sed invocation with an awk invocation?

it doesn't work: the problem seems to be
that awk has to be used with a separate program file (my  ltab.m1 ),
which conflicts with the format for CERN rules (in your examples).
in any case, it's unnecessarily complex.

i have amended Lynx Help For Beginners to reflect your new table-processing,
with a link to my new document which describes the awk procedure.
comments welcome.

-- 
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SUPPORT     ___________//___,  Philip Webb : address@hidden
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|  Centre for Urban & Community Studies
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