[4262] in SIPB bug reports
installed findprog and small database in sipb locker
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Calvin Clark)
Sun Nov 21 09:36:21 1993
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 93 09:33:54 -0500
From: Calvin Clark <ckclark@MIT.EDU>
To: bug-sipb@MIT.EDU
The idea behind this simple script is to make a first attempt
at making it easier for users to find programs in other lockers
which might have something to do with what they are looking
for. All it does is tell people the description like
from the man page (like man -k), and allows people to view
the man page from the program, even if it's in another locker.
It provides a crude regexp search mechanism, too.
There are, of course, many features that could be added, and many
things that could be changed/improved. The database itself only
contains programs in the sipb and watchmaker lockers, and these entries
more or less have to be added by hand, though I plan to write some
scripts to make it more automatic, and then add more lockers. I plan
to write a WWW extension to the plexus which allows one to make these
queries. A separate seachable database of keywords taken from
the text of the man pages might be cool, too.
Anyway, read the man page which will be available when the
volume is next released.
This program sucks. I am open to suggestions on content/format of the
database and other changes. The database itself is intended to be
easily editable in something like Emacs edb or Forms mode, though I
haven't written templates for that yet.
-Calvin
