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Perly - unix with buttons

Hesketh, Richard (1991) Perly - unix with buttons. Software: Practice and Experience, 21 (11). pp. 1165-1187. ISSN 0038-0644. (doi:10.1002/spe.4380211103) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:22980)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/spe.4380211103

Abstract

Modern UNIX-based graphical workstations still lack really graphical interfaces. Yet recreating existing UNIX tools with graphical interfaces may prove to be a prohibitive task. This paper describes the design and implementation of a set of tools that make the task of providing a graphical UNIX user interface easier. The main tool, called Perly, provides on-screen graphical buttons connected to UNIX command scripts. When a button is pressed, the associated command script is executed. The buttons are highly configurable, encouraging users to tailor and extend their workstation environment. The idea of on-screen buttons with underlying programmable scripts comes from the work done at Xerox EuroPARC into user-tailorable systems. Descriptions of Perly buttons are held in plain text files, allowing them to be given to other users via electronic mail. Examples of the use of buttons and the ideas behind the implementation of Perly buttons under the X Window System are discussed.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1002/spe.4380211103
Uncontrolled keywords: unix; user interface; graphical workstation; x-window system; end-user programming; customization; tailorability
Subjects: Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Computing
Depositing User: O.O. Odanye
Date Deposited: 03 Nov 2009 21:31 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:01 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/22980 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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