How to Create a Command-Line Tool with LiveCode?

[icouto]

Hi there! Just checking whether with the upcoming version 9.5 there is now a (non-hacky) way to create compiled command-line tools with LiveCode? - i.e., a way that doesn't require us calling the tool with `-ui` arguments? Or is the only way still to just write uncompiled scripts that can be run by LiveCode Server?

[bogs]

Just curious, what makes adding '-ui' to the command to launch the program any more or less hacky than not using it?

I really am curious, not trying to be a jerk. Switches are common to almost any command line tool I can think of, no matter how you write them or launch them.

[FourthWorld]

The -ui flag is only needed when using a standalone facelessly from the command line. It is not needed with LiveCode Server.

This blog article describes how to use LC Server outside of web serving, as a more general command-line program:
https://livecode.com/livecode-server/

[icouto]

@bogs What makes it 'hacky' is the fact that in order to control the output of the tool you MUST use the `-ui` flags every time you run it. It's perfectly fine to have your tool use flags, but no flags should be *required* for the tool to do its 'normal' function.

@FourthWorld Thanks for the link, but as you can see from my previous posts, I knew that already! Ideally, it would be better to be able to ship a compiled tool, rather than just a script that requires the user to have LiveCode Server installed.

[FourthWorld]

It doesn't seem particularly onerous to have either a script + engine or a standalone with UI when shipping to an audience comfortable with command line execution.

What am I not understanding?

[bogs]

Like I said, I'm not sure what about that makes it 'hacky'.

I don't know which Os you are on, but, for instance, on Linux just off the top of my head, if you want to run dpkg, you are going to be using a switch. In fact, no part of dpkg (or many other) command line tools does *anything* unless you use a switch of some kind.

I said DPKG DANGIT!

If you open a terminal, and type in 'dpkg', you get a manual page. Same with (almost) any other command I can think of. I don't remember as much of the Windows cli commands as I probably should, but from what I remember writing batch files, it was the same thing.

I guess our standards are just different, but having to use a switch on a cli command program doesn't strike me as anything other than normal. If you really want to ditch the switch for your end user, just write a bash/batch/launcher file for the Os end user to launch your program with the -ui, and tell them *that* is the program. Problem solved

[mwieder]

If you use the server product to run scripts then you don't need the "-ui" modifier. Here's a test script (I have the server in my path to avoid having to specify the complete path in the hashbang line:

Code: Select all

#!livecode-community-server
include "test1.lc"
local x, y
put 3 into x
breakpoint
put x into y
put "-- environment --" & cr
put "libraries=" && the libraries & cr
put "frontscripts=" && the frontscripts & cr
put "backscripts=" && the backscripts & cr
put "stacks=" && the stacks & cr
put "stacksinuse=" && the stacksinuse & cr

put "the version=" && the version & cr
put "the environment=" && the environment & cr
put "the editionType=" && the editionType & cr
put "the defaultFolder=" && the defaultFolder & cr
put "the defaultStack=" && the defaultStack & cr

put "-- dateItem test --" & cr
put 1489755600 into tVar
convert tVar to dateitems
put "fixed time (dateItems)=" & tVar & cr
get the time
convert it to dateitems
put "current time (dateItems)=" & it & cr
put the screenrect & cr

Here's the included test1.lc file:

Code: Select all

#!livecode-community-server
put "hello, world" & cr