Design a better interface to the formatter

[jcranch]

By now, the interface to the formatter provided by run.py has a set of command-line options that is becoming bewilderingly numerous and also annoying to use. But on the other hand, these options actually form only a small part of all the options one could want.

Chris and I feel that an interactive launcher would be more helpful. But what technology should it use? Here are the possibilities I can think of:

• Simple text-based question-and-answer. Advantages: easy to code. Disadvantages: hard to navigate, annoying, ad hoc.
• Curses or X-based thing. Advantages: nice. Disadvantages: hard to code, possibly restrictive for platforms.
• HTML form. Advantages: easy to code the form itself, nice. Disadvantages: can't think of a really simple way of interfacing that with Python.

Any suggestions?

[frabcus]

A config file with the same options, but spread out?

A user interface that can generate the config file?

Francis

On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 11:09:46AM -0700, jcranch wrote:

By now, the interface to the formatter provided by run.py has a set of command-line options that is becoming bewilderingly numerous and also annoying to use. But on the other hand, these options actually form only a small part of all the options one could want.

Chris and I feel that an interactive launcher would be more helpful. But what technology should it use? Here are the possibilities I can think of:

• Simple text-based question-and-answer. Advantages: easy to code. Disadvantages: hard to navigate, annoying, ad hoc.
• Curses or X-based thing. Advantages: nice. Disadvantages: hard to code, possibly restrictive for platforms.
• HTML form. Advantages: easy to code the form itself, nice. Disadvantages: can't think of a really simple way of interfacing that with Python.

Any suggestions?

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub:
#34

[jcranch]

I think you're right.

For ease, the config file should probably be written in Python: it should just set some variables.