Hi Frank,
I want to accomplish a simple task with a form:
1. Create a form with a button and edit control and 2 text areas.
2. Enter a value into the edit control.
3. Run a database query using the value in the edit control as a parameter and return the results in text area 1
4. Run a shell script using the value in the edit control as a parameter and return the results in text area 2
I have OpenDBX running successfully and I don't think using OSProcess and CommandShell will be that difficult.
Indeed, you could use OSProcess command: 'your-script.sh arg1 arg2', but there may be some added complexity if you need to block and/or extract output.
Creating the form is the part I don't know how to accomplish.
I have done some searching and there seems to be a surprising dearth of info on how to create a simple GUI from scratch using Pharo or Squeak.
Since you said Squeak too I'll just mention: If you would first create a class to encapsulate the functionality you want: say, "FranksDualQuery" that would have an instvar 'input' (with getter/setter accessors), along with two additional methods for your db-query and shell-script (which each consume the 'input'), then you could use Maui to create your form in about 30 seconds. Maui can be installed straight from the SqueakMap catalog. Then execute: FranksDualQuery new maui and a blank form panel appears. Just drag the #input getter from the code-browser into this blank form panel. Then select "tools | be a getter/setter" so its "text-area" will be editable. Then drag the other two messages to the panel to complete the form. Done. I love naked-objects because it integrates "development" and "consumption" in a way that has helped me understand and appreciate Smalltalk as a live computing environment and not just an app-studio. Here's a video overview in case you're interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUdu8ImXJwU
-- Frank Church
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