Re (2): [Oberon] Address Book for Multimail, etc

[peasthope at shaw.ca]

From:	dukeofperl at ml1.net
Date:	Sun, 26 Sep 2010 19:57:05 -0600
> ... seems you are saying that basically you have to
> ... manually search some file, then copy and paste some email address.

Crucially, not a file.  It is a text viewer in the System Track, your  
personalized System.Tool.  It's opened from a file when the system starts 
and stays open until System.Quit or until closed deliberately.  Addresses 
and frequently used commands and anything else you choose to put there 
are always visible by no more than scrolling.  That's the beauty of 
System.Tool.  

Really the original System.Tool should be copied to Duke.Tool and  
System.Tool kept for reference.  Duke.Tool should be opened 
automatically by a command in Oberon.Text.

> ... manually search some file, ...

If you want to search in System.Tool, simply type the search string 
in the System.Log, select it, and MM on Search.  Scrolling, searching 
and 'RX.Grep * "bcc:"' work entirely in memory; hence fast!  Contrast 
with the enormous filesystem tree typical of a contemporary system. 
Contrast with Linux grep which commonly works on a file and with 
/var/log/syslog which is typically hidden from view.

By the way, a crucial idea in Oberon is to work in memory as much 
as possible and to minimize file access.   

> ... copy and paste some email address.

Which is no more than a few mouse clicks.  If RX.Grep is used, it will 
open a fresh viewer containing the result.  Type "Subject: blah, blah ..." 
on the next line, skip a line, type your message, mark the viewer with 
F1 click Send *.  Done!

> ... hack some sort of "alias" expansion thing with that tool ...

That amounts to keeping your favourite RX.Grep commands in Duke.Tool.
Then find the command and MM on it.  About as fast as you can blink, a 
viewer is opened with the desired addresses.  No simple address book in a 
commercial system can compete.  Linux can do it, like using a team of oxen 
to move a barrow load of gravel.  [Sorry for the humour.]

Regards,            ... Peter E.

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