Index of /tcl/ftparchive/sorted/file/player

 Name                   Last modified     Size  Description

 Parent Directory       29-Jan-99 12:28      -  
 README                 18-Dec-96 09:27     4k  
 player.tar.gz          19-Dec-96 12:00     5k  

Player
------

This is a tiny `Click'n'Run' tool I wrote some time ago. It `executes'
any kind of file according to the information found in ~/.mime.types
and ~/.mailcap. The idea is certainly not original, and there are lots
of other tools doing the same or more, but I love the tool as it is.

The `Open' button pops up a file dialogue. After selecting a file, the
program selects the appropriate MIME type according to your .mime.types
file, and then executes the appropriate display utility according to
your .mailcap.
The `Sync' button re-reads ~/.mime.types and ~/.mailcap in case they
have changed and is quite useful for testing purposes. If you don't
need the button, hack the source.
The `Quit' button should be self-explanatory.

You can enter arbitrary commands in the field above the buttons, which
are executed when you hit Return.

Whenever a command is executed, a new button is created to give
information about which programs are currently controlled by the
process. You can simply click on such a button to terminate the
associated program.

Any output is captured and displayed in text widgets.

Because I use the file dialog provided by Tk 4.2, you need Tcl 7.6
to run `player'.

See the source for more information. You are free to edit the source
and change anything, but give me credit when you pass it on, please.


The ~/.mime.types file
----------------------

This file maps a file's extension (the text after the last `.') to a
MIME type. Empty lines and those beginning with `#' are ignored. Other
lines have two or more whitespace-separated columns, where the first
gives the MIME type, and the other columns give extensions to be mapped
to that type.

I have included my .mime.types file (with the leading dot removed). If
you want to use it, do a `cp mime.types ~/.mime.types'.

For more information about MIME types. see the metamail documentation
or RFC1522.


The ~/.mailcap file
-------------------

This file defines now to (dis)play the various kinds of files. Empty
lines and those beginning with `#' are ignored. Other lines must consist
of two or three columns separated by a semicolon `;' and surrounding
whitespace.
The first column gives a pattern which is matched against the MIME type
of the given file, using glob-style matching (with the wildcards `?'
and `*').

The second column gives a command to execute. If an `%s' appears, it
is replaced with the full path name to the file in question. A `%t'
is replaced with the MIME type for the file according to .mime.types.
Two double quotes `""' are replaced with a single `%' character.
If no `%s' appears in the command name, the file in question is pro-
vided to the executed program as standard input.

The third column is optional and may give options. The only option
currently understood is `needsterminal'. If this option is given, the
program is executed in its own xterm.

I have included my .mailcap file (with the leading dot removed). If
you want to use it, do a `cp mailcap ~/.mailcap'.

For more information, see the metamail documentation (try man mailcap).


Example
-------

A short ~/.mime.types:

image/jpeg		jpeg jpg

A short ~/.mailcap:

image/*;		xv %s

Now if you click on `Open' and select a file with the extension `.jpg',
the entry in .mime.types identifies the file as a JPEG image. Next,
the associated MIME type, `image/jpeg' is matched against the entry in
.mailcap, and the result is that the image will be displayed using `xv'.


Notes
-----

Because this is not exactly a killer application and I do not think that
it will find wide distribution, I have not put too much effort in handling
failure cases, or documentation, for that matter. I hope you will find the
tool useful anyway, and if it does something you don't like, patch it!