As long as I'm writing, I might as well ask the group:
I have created an ... extension to perlindex/tkpod. Instead of doing a full
text search, it searches for the table of contents on pods and returns them
as phrases, e.g. "Assigning to variables", "Slices of Hashes", etc...
It then builds some indexes, and presents a menu, just like perlindex, but
of these phrases (like a table fo contents, or like a real index) and their
locations, taking you to the exact line number in the appropriate pod.
The phrases are sorted by shortest (in terms of number of words), and then
alphabetically.
The phrases are currently extracted by searching for =head* or =pod, but
the facility is already built in to look for the long existing, but
currently dormant, X<...> pod escape specification. This means that all pod
documentation, assuming that this gets off the ground, should add X<...>
whenever it wants to add itself to the table of contents.
It works for perlindex and tkpod, and soon will for perldoc.
First of all, any uphill battles here? Has anyone done anything like this?
Second, the natural name for this is Pod::Index, which is taken by one
Kenneth Albanowski, whose email box is stuffed and whose url doesn't work.
I would be happy to coordinate efforts with him. Should I use a different
name? Does anyone know how to reach him? Can I take over the name?
The full (very) alpha version will be available for upload/download soon,
unless there is any objection.
This is my first public contribution, so forgive me for any protocol erros
in this email, and set me straight.
Yehuda Berlinger
