File format translation protocol

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2 total messages Started by Clive Jones Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:25

#887

Author: Clive Jones
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:25

60 lines
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I had a little idea whilst bored over christmas. Wouldn't it be nice
if there was a protocol whereby applications could ask other
applications to perform filename translations for it? For example, if
!Paint were equipped with such a protocol, and so was !ChangeFSI, you
could directly drag a GIF onto !Paint, for example. With a bit of
luck, you could also just drag a GIF back out of the save as dialogue,
too.

The sort of protocol I had in mind would work as follows, and allow
multiple translations to be performed where necessary:

  Filer->!Paint
    GIF file adfs::MyDisc.Piccy has been dragged to icon 7 on the iconbar.

  !Paint broadcast:
    I want a GIF translated to a Sprite. Can anyone help?

  No answer.

  !Paint broadcast:
    I want a GIF translated to a Sprite using one intermediate step.
    Can anyone help?

  !GIFtoPBM broadcast:
    I want a PBM translated to a Sprite. Can anyone help?

  No answer.

  !GIFtoPBM gives up, and polls, so that another application can have
  a go.

  !GIFtoClear broadcast:
    I want a Clear translated to a Sprite. Can anyone help?

  !CleartoSprite->!GIFtoClear reply:
    Yes, I am ready to do that. Send me the file now.

  !GIFtoClear->!Paint reply:
    Yes, I am ready to do that. Send me the file now.

  !Paint->!GIFtoClear:
    GIF file adfs::MyDisc.Piccy has been dragged to icon 7 on the
    iconbar.

  !GIFtoClear->!CleartoSprite:
    In-store data, with name adfs::MyDisc.Piccy of type Clear has been
    dragged to icon 7 on the iconbar.

  !CleartoSprite->!Paint:
    In-store data, with name adfs::MyDisc.Piccy of type Sprite has
    been dragged to icon 7 on the iconbar.

  !Paint accepts this data as normal, and is then happy.

Are people interested in a formalisation of this protocol, and would
they implement it?

Comments welcome, either in the group, or by e-mail.

--Clive.

Re: File format translation protocol

#899

Author: Mr N S Kaijaks
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 14:59

45 lines
2905 bytes

In article <1993Jan11.212512.12588@infodev.cam.ac.uk> crj10@phx.cam.ac.uk
(Clive Jones) writes:
>I had a little idea whilst bored over christmas. Wouldn't it be nice
>if there was a protocol whereby applications could ask other
>applications to perform filename translations for it? For example, if
>!Paint were equipped with such a protocol, and so was !ChangeFSI, you
>could directly drag a GIF onto !Paint, for example. With a bit of
>luck, you could also just drag a GIF back out of the save as dialogue,
>too.
>
> [Stuff deleted]
>

Clive is right, a method of automatically converting files would be useful.
But quite why Acorn doesn't seem to have developed a consistent protocol for
all file handling is beyond me. The messaging system is versatile, but too
reliant on coders' discretion for the purposes for which it is used most. The
proliferation of suggestions for various new protocols on this group is
demonstrative of this. A unified and co-ordinated format for file dragging,
double-clicking, and object linking is necessary.

By the latter, I mean a system similar to that on Word for Windows (sorry),
where double-clicking on an embedded picture/graph/whatever launches the
application which created it (if available), and loads it in. The number of
times I have wanted this in Impression documents is ....big!

The Arc also needs some development in subscription software, to keep up
with other computers in business and multimedia applications. For years, Mac
Word documents can "subscribe" to graphs "published" by Excel. These can then
be automatically updated if the original spreadsheet is altered. Some Arc
programs use hotlinking (Impression links with a couple of programs using
Impulse, and I think Presenter talks to one of the databases), but this does
not update automatically, and the protocols are fairly application specific.

Perhaps this isn't very "tech", but the people who read this group are the
people who need to develop the software on the Arc to keep it competitive.
But this is starting to sound like it belongs on c.s.a.advocacy so I think
I'll throw it open to you....

Cheers,
Nick
-- 
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 Nick Kaijaks     phuae@csv.warwick.ac.uk     .sig? No thanks, I don't smoke
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