Re: Scripting in Gnome

["Larry W. Virden" <lvirden cas org>]

From: jamie <jamiemcc blueyonder co uk>

> Suppose we have a script engine as a bonobo component which is used by
> Gnumeric to enable users to write macros. SUppose johnny writes his
> macros in Gnumeric using python and chris writes his macros in Ruby.
> What happens when chris sends his gnumeric spreadsheet file with
> embedded Ruby macros to johnny, who does not have a Ruby interpreter
> installed? 
> 
> Of course he cant execute those macros if he does not have the Ruby
> interpreter installed. This problem is therefore magnified many times if
> you consider what happens with a generic script interface - you would
> need every possible interpreter installed on your system to guarantee
> you could execute any macro.   
> 
> Enter my proposed integrated generic script interface and that problem
> goes away. There would be no dependancy on any other libs or
> interpreters. 


This is where I get confused in your description.  Let's take it a bit
farther.

Chris sends his gnumeric spreadsheet with embedded Ruby macros to Johnny.
But your scripting engine is in place.   Johnny doesn't have Ruby installed.
What does happen?

Or, are you saying that Chris writes his spreadsheet, not with Ruby macros,
but with new language X, which will be in the spreadsheet?  In other
words, everyone learns a new language.  This option is not so different
than embedding one of the existing languages.

Note that, at least when one embeds Tcl, one doesn't worry about the user
having Tcl installed.  There are at least four options:

	1. The shared library libtcl is a part of the application
		distribution itself, so it gets installed 
	2. The static library libtcl is linked into the application
	3. A dependency between the app and the Tcl package is defined,
		 so that it gets installed as well
	4. A starpack (see  http://www.equi4.com/189 ) is
		used so that everything that is needed is distributed.


Or are you saying that your new engine can, via these xml files, be
told how to interpret any language?  That sounds like the Guile project,
except they use Scheme to define the look and action of the languages.
-- 
Tcl - The glue of a new generation.  <URL: http://wiki.tcl.tk/ >
Larry W. Virden <mailto:lvirden cas org> <URL: http://www.purl.org/NET/lvirden/>
Even if explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should 
be construed as representing my employer's opinions.
-><-