Re: Re: LYNX-DEV future of -book command line control

[Al Gilman]

  From: "Hiram Lester, Jr." <address@hidden>
  
  On Tue, 10 Dec 1996, Al Gilman wrote:
  
  > That's what's behind my suggestion -- seeking a handier way to change
  > startup default than editing lynx.cfg or setting an OS symbol value.
  
  So, what you are wanting is a config option similar to N!/IE's startup
  file where you can enter a URL interactively (or in their case, choose a
  blank browser window)?  This might be something to consider eventually
  when the options handling improves.  It might also be nice to be able to
  configure a search page similar to those other browsers. :)
  
You have the basic idea.  Re-set the startup URL on the fly
during a Lynx usage session.  

But two small details are critical, here.  First, I don't want
the user to have to type the URL.  The user selects either the
current document or a link on the current document -- exactly as
with bookmarks now.  This means that we don't need to find real
estate on the O)ptions page or open that can of worms at all.  We
have dumped enough worms in that can.  I understand that is a
major undertaking.

The nub of my idea is that setting the STARTFILE should mimic the
setting of a bookmark.  The only difference in the classes is
cardinality.  You can have zero or more bookmarks.  You can have
one and only one STARTFILE (at the .lynxrc or
O)ptions-screen-equivalent level of precedence).  Otherwise their
operations are the same.

The logic to extract the URL to cache is all there for bookmarks.
What is different is that we add a STARTFILE definition to
.lynxrc and stuff the URL in it when the user exercises
SET_AS_STARTFILE by a one- or two-key sequence.  Or other code
with the same effect.

Could it be that this change is smaller than converting all option
control to a forms_exec mode of Lynx, or embedding a searcher
that competes with Marimba?

Al Gilman
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