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lynx-dev printing: %s %s


From: Philip Webb
Subject: lynx-dev printing: %s %s
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998 06:20:38 -0400 (EDT)

980822 Doug Kaufmann wrote: 
> On Sat, 22 Aug 1998, Philip Webb wrote:
>> i dropped the stuff about double %s, since no-one knows what it means.
> This is important information and should not be dropped.
> Remember "printing" does not mean sending the file to a printer,
> but sending the rendered file to whatever program you specify.
> The 1st %s will generally give the name of the temp file "LYTemp-whatever",
> while the 2nd %s will give the name of the file that was on the remote site.
> See the DOWNLOADER definition for ZMODEM for an example.
> I am not sure that I can come up with clearer documentation,
> but playing with the examples in lynx.cfg makes the actions understandable.
 
980822 Larry Virden added:
> This tells the print system what file it is really printing.

980822 Jason McBrayer disagrees (guesses? smile):
> if you are printing via lpr and lpd attaches a header to every page,
> the header can have a nice name (like the original file name)
> instead of the tempfile name.

these comments are no doubt meant to be helpful,
but they are far from enlightening.
let's look at what the current  lynx.cfg  (dev.22) says:

> If a second %s is given, <it> will be replaced by a suggested filename
> that is prettier than the tempfile name given in the first %s.
> This does not remove the first %s from the command line in any manner.
> If you need to use only the second %s file name in your printer command,
> I suggest creating a script which will first copy the first %s file name
> to the second %s file name, and then executing your print command
> with the second %s file name.

this suggests that Lynx is replacing & removing filenames;
it implies that Lynx somehow chooses a pretty name (?!);
it implies you can specify a 2nd name without a 1st (??!!);
it uses the 1st person without any sign who he;
it fails to suggest how a script would fit in;
etc.

> DOWNLOADER:Use Kermit to download to the local terminal:kermit -i -s %s -a 
> %s:TRUE
> DOWNLOADER:Use Zmodem to download to the local terminal:sz %s:TRUE
> DOWNLOADER:Use Zmodem to download to the local terminal:set %s 
> %s;td=/tmp/Lsz$$;mkdir $td;ln -s $1 $td/"$2";sz $td/"$2";rm -r $td:TRUE

 2  of these examples contain double %s (none of the printer examples do),
but that's simply a result of Kermit/Zmodem syntax, nothing to do with Lynx:
users should get that stuff from the K/Z manuals.  i don't know/use Zmodem,
but with Kermit  -s  denotes the name of the file to be sent,
 -a  the name to be given to the file upon arrival:
it corresponds to a regular user action with interactive Kermit
& adding the example above to my Download screen
causes a prompt for a filename, which is used by MS-Kermit in my XT;
there is a suggested brief -- but not pretty -- name offered by Lynx.
again, there's no reason to try to describe this in Lynx documentation.

> Note for Zmodem: The first variant gives wrong filenames
> ("sz" doesn't support a suggested filename parameter, sorry).
> The second returns correct filenames,
> but may conflict with very strong security or permissions restrictions
> (it uses the script to make a subdirectory in /tmp, see below).
> (example script in lieu of :sz %s: for offering a suggested filename)
> :set %s %s;td=/tmp/Lsz$$;mkdir $td;ln -s $1 $td/"$2";sz $td/"$2";rm -r $td:

this is even worse: it has no business in Lynx documentation
& is bizarre, apparently telling users the 1st format is wrong,
then warning them they may not be allowed to use the 2nd !

the well-intentioned comments above are not consistent with one another
nor with the Kermit example.  are y'all really basically guessing?

in sum: users may find themselves specifying  > 1  %s in their options
& Lynx documentation can perfectly well tell them that's ok,
but Lynx docs should not be advising users how to use other software,
beyond an occasional single line pointing them somewhere else.

i hadn't looked at the Download section before,
but obviously the next revision of the patch will have to include it.

further comment welcome: i'll sleep on it for 24 hours ...
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,  Philip Webb : address@hidden
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|  Centre for Urban & Community Studies
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'  University of Toronto

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