Hi,
Just putting together a few ideas discussed with david and jesse..
Remember theses recent articles, "{ jabber | the url field } is the
new command line" ?
Well, they contain a lot of truth :-D
Basically, I think that command line, while it shouldn't be
obligatory, should be
available easily to enter commands on the desktop -- simply because
it's really powerful :-)
Though, instead of opening an xterm, what we should do is to have a
textfield either
opened all the time or opened by a shortcut (like on tiger,
command-space open the spotlight search field) -- anyway the user can
open an xterm if he needs it.
But having an always-present or easily present textfield/command line
would be great.
Imagine that we have "backends" for this command-line, separate
programs that can do something with what you type. Example of
backends:
- a search backend :-)
- an help backend, searching in the help ..
- an "open url" backend (type an url, it opens it in the browser)
- an "open directory" backend (type a path, it opens the filemanager..)
- an "assistant" backend (type "remember seb's birthday", it will add
an entry on your todo list, etc. See NewtonOS for more ideas...)
- a jabber backend (type "how are you ?", choose the person and send
it through jabber)
- etc.
I think it's rather clear that having a command line would be really handy.
Now, how to choose which backend will execute what you typed ?
Well, I don't think there's only one answer, but likely a mix of theses:
- have a pull-down menu listing all the backends, you click on the one you want
- use keyboard shortcuts (indicated on the menu)
- have intelligent, context-sensitive tab completion (and thus you
could derive the right action too, as well as providing help to the
user with the completion)
- prefix your "order" with something (eg, "david: how are you ?",
"assistant: meeting tomorrow at 10 with my advisor")
Thoughts ?
--
Nicolas Roard
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-Arthur C. Clarke
