diff options
| author | hallgren <hallgren@chalmers.se> | 2011-10-12 17:03:54 +0000 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | hallgren <hallgren@chalmers.se> | 2011-10-12 17:03:54 +0000 |
| commit | 44d1a5a9f71b03d9aceeccd760a63fcdc45f8bad (patch) | |
| tree | d51076a708997d6f1af6ac0deefd535bbc25f804 /src/www/gfse/about.html | |
| parent | 0aba45560d2033c37c3d2e876e6f3ef89e1554d6 (diff) | |
Improvements of "gf -server" mode and related setup
"gf -server" mode now contains everything needed to run the minibar and
the grammar editor (including example-based grammar writing).
The Setup.hs script installs the required files where gf -server can find them.
These files have been moved to a new directory: src/www.
The separate server program pgf-http is now obsolete.
Diffstat (limited to 'src/www/gfse/about.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | src/www/gfse/about.html | 243 |
1 files changed, 243 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/www/gfse/about.html b/src/www/gfse/about.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..8660621a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/www/gfse/about.html @@ -0,0 +1,243 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML> +<html> +<head> +<title>About: GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars</title> +<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="editor.css" title="Cloud"> +<link rel="alternate stylesheet" type="text/css" href="molto.css" title="MOLTO"> + +<link rel=author href="http://www.cse.chalmers.se/~hallgren/" title="Thomas Hallgren"> + +<meta name = "viewport" content = "width = device-width"> +<meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8"> +<meta charset="UTF-8"> + +<script type="text/javascript" src="slideshow.js"></script> + +</head> + +<body> +<h1>GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars</h1> + +<div class=right> + <div class=slideshow> + <img onload="start_slideshow(this,{delay:5,fade:0.3})" src="P/w1s.jpg" alt="[GF online editor screen shoot]"> + <img class=hidden src="P/w2s.jpg" alt="[GF online editor screen shoot]"> + <img class=hidden src="P/w3s.jpg" alt="[GF online editor screen shoot]"> + <img class=hidden src="P/w4s.jpg" alt="[GF online editor screen shoot]"> + </div> +</div> +<h2>Introduction</h2> + +Traditionally, <a href="http://www.grammaticalframework.org/">GF</a> +grammars are created in a text editor and tested in the +GF shell. Text editors know very little (if anything) about the syntax of +GF grammars, and thus provide little guidance for novice GF users. Also, the +grammar author has to download and install the GF software on his/her own +computer. + +<p> +In contrast, the +<a href="."><em>GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars</em></a> +is available online, making it easier to get started. All that +is needed is a reasonably modern web browser. Even Android and iOS devices +can be used. +<p> +The editor +also guides the grammar author by showing a skeleton grammar file and +hinting how the parts should be filled in. When a new part is added to the +grammar, it is immediately checked for errors. + +<p> +Editing operations are accessed by clicking on editing symbols embedded +in the grammar display: +<span class=more>+</span>=Add an item, +<span class=delete>×</span>=Delete an item, +<span class=edit>%</span>=Edit an item. +These are revealed when hovering over items. On touch devices, hovering is +in some cases simulated by tapping, but there is also a button at the bottom +of the display to "Enable editing on touch devices" that reveals all editing +symbols. + +<p> +In spite of its name, the editor runs entierly in the web +browser, so once you have opened the web page, you can +<strong>continue editing</strong> grammars even while you are +<strong>offline</strong>. + +<h3>Current status</h3> + +<p> +At the moment, the editor supports only a small subset of the GF grammar +notation. +Proper error checking is done for abstract syntax, but not (yet) for concrete +syntax. + +<p> +The grammars created with this editor always consists of one file for the +abstract syntax, and one file for each concrete syntax. + +<h4>Abstract syntax</h4> + +The supported abstract syntax corresponds to context-free grammars +(no dependent types). The definition of an abstract syntax is limited to +<ul> + <li>a list of <em>category names</em>, + <var>Cat<sub>1</sub></var> ; ... ; <var>Cat<sub>n</sub></var>, + <li>a list of <em>functions</em> of the form + <var>Fun</var> : <var>Cat<sub>1</sub></var> -> ... -> + <var>Cat<sub>n</sub></var>, + <li>and a <em>start category</em>. +</ul> + +Available editing operations: +<ul> + <li>Categories can be added, removed and renamed. When renaming a category, + occurences of it in function types will be updated accordingly. + <li>Functions can be added, removed and edited. Concrete syntaxes are updated + to reflect changes. + <li>Functions can be reordered using drag-and-drop. +</ul> + +Error checks: + +<ul> + <li>Syntactically incorrect function definitions are refused. + <li>Semantic problem such as duplicated definitions or references to + undefined categories, are highlighted. +</ul> + +<h4>Concrete syntax</h4> + +At the moment, the concrete syntax for a language <var>L</var> is limited to +<ul> + <li>opening the Resource Grammar Library modules + <code>Syntax</code><var>L</var> and <code>Paradigms</code><var>L</var>, + <code>Lexicon</code><var>L</var> and <code>Extra</code><var>L</var>, + <li><em>linearization types</em> for the categories in the abstract syntax, + <li><em>linearizations</em> for the functions in the abstract syntax, + <li><em>parameter type definitions</em>, + <var>P</var> = <var>C<sub>1</sub></var> | ... |<var>C<sub>n</sub></var>, + <li>and <em>operation definitions</em>, <var>op</var> = <var>expr</var>, + <var>op</var> : <var>type</var> = <var>expr</var>, +</ul> + +Available editing operations: +<ul> + <li>The LHSs of the linearization types and linearizations are determined by + the abstract syntax and do not need to be entered manually. + The RHSs can + be edited. + <li>Parameter types can be added, removed and edited. + <li>Operation definitons can be added, removed and edited. + <li>Definitions can be reordered (using drag-and-drop) +</ul> +Also, + +<ul> + <li>When a new concrete syntax is added to the grammar, a copy of the + currently open concrete syntax is created, since copying and modifying + is usually easier than creating something new from scratch. + (If the abstract syntax is currently open, the new conrete syntax will + start out empty.) + <li>When adding a new concrete syntax, you normally pick one of the supported + languages from a list. The language code and the file name is determined + automatically. But you can also pick <em>Other</em> from the list and change + the language code afterwards to add a concrete syntax for a language + that is not in the list. +</ul> + +Error checks: +<ul> + <li>The RHSs in the concrete syntax are checked + for syntactic correctness by the editor as they are entered. + (TODO: the syntax of parameter types is not check at the moment.) + <li>Duplicated definitions are highlighted. Checks for other + semantic errors are delayed until the grammar is compiled. +</ul> + +<h3>Compiling and testing grammars</h3> + +When pressing the <strong>Compile</strong> button, the grammar will be compiled +with GF, and any errors not detected by the editor will be reported. +If the grammar is free from errors the user can then +test the grammar by clicking on links to the online GF shell, the Minibar or +the Translation Quiz. + +<h3><img class=right src="P/1307545089_weather_04.png" alt=""> +<img class=right src="P/1306856253_weather_06.png" alt="">Grammars in the +cloud</h3> + +While the editor normally stores grammars locally in the browser, it is also +possible to store grammars in the cloud. Grammars can be stored in the cloud +just for backup, or to make them accessible from multiple devices. + +<p> +There is no automatic synchronization between local grammars and the cloud. +Instead, the user should press +<img src="P/1306856253_weather_06.png" alt="[Cloud Upload]"> +to upload the grammars to the cloud, and press +<img src="P/1307545089_weather_04.png" alt="[Cloud download]"> +to download grammars from the cloud. In both cases, complete grammars +are copied and older versions at the destination will be overwritten. +When a grammar is deleted, both the local copy and the copy in the cloud +is deleted. + +<p> +Each device is initially assigned to its own unique cloud. Each device can thus +have its own set of grammars that are not available on other devices. It is +also possible to merge clouds and share a common set of grammars between +multiple devices: when uploading grammars to the cloud, a link to this grammar +cloud appears. Accessing this link from another device will cause the clouds of +the two devices to be merged. After this, grammars uploaded from one of the +devices can be downloaded on the other devices. Any number devices can join the +same grammar cloud in this way. + +<p> +<strong>Note</strong> that while it is possible to copy grammars between +multiple devices, there is no way to merge concurrent edits from multiple +devices. If the same grammar is uploaded to the +cloud from multiple devices, the last upload wins. Thus the current +implementation is suitable for a single user switching between different +devices, but not recommended for sharing grammars between multiple users. + +<p> +Also <strong>note</strong> that each grammar is assigned a unique identity +when it is first created. Renaming a grammar does not change its identity. +This means that name changes are propagated between devices like other changes. + +<h3>Example-based grammar writing</h3> + +This is work in progress... + +<h3>Future work</h3> + +This prototype gives an idea of how a web based GF grammar editor could work. +While this editor is implemented in JavaScript and runs in the web browser, +we do not expect to create a full implementation of GF that runs in the +web browser, but let the editor communicate with a server running GF. +<p> +By developing a GF server with an appropriate API, it should +be possible to extend the editor to support a larger fragment of GF, +to do proper error checking and make more of the existing GF shell functionality +accessible directly from the editor. +<p> +The current grammar cloud service is very primitive. In particular, it is not +suitable for multiple users developing a grammar in collaboration. + +<h3>Related documents</h3> +<ul> + <li><a href="http://www.grammaticalframework.org/~hallgren/Talks/GF/gf-ide.html">GF Grammar Development Tools</a>. Slides from a presentation at the MOLTO meeting in Göteborg, March 2011. + <li><a href="http://www.grammaticalframework.org/grammar-ide/">The GF Grammar IDE</a>. MOLTO deliverable. + <li><a href="http://www.grammaticalframework.org/compiler-api">The GF Grammar + Compiler API</a>. MOLTO deliverable. +</ul> + +<hr> +<div class=modtime><small> +<!-- hhmts start --> Last modified: Fri Oct 7 14:06:14 CEST 2011 <!-- hhmts end --> + </small></div> +<address> +<a href="http://www.cse.chalmers.se/~hallgren/">TH</a> +<img src="http://www.altocumulus.org/~hallgren/online.cgi?icon" alt=""> +</address> +</body> </html> |