From 44d1a5a9f71b03d9aceeccd760a63fcdc45f8bad Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: hallgren Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:03:54 +0000 Subject: 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. --- src/editor/simple/about.html | 243 ------------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 243 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 src/editor/simple/about.html (limited to 'src/editor/simple/about.html') diff --git a/src/editor/simple/about.html b/src/editor/simple/about.html deleted file mode 100644 index 8660621a3..000000000 --- a/src/editor/simple/about.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,243 +0,0 @@ - - - -About: GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars

- -

- - - -

Introduction

- -Traditionally, GF -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. - -

-In contrast, the -GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars -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. -

-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. - -

-Editing operations are accessed by clicking on editing symbols embedded -in the grammar display: -+=Add an item, -×=Delete an item, -%=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. - -

-In spite of its name, the editor runs entierly in the web -browser, so once you have opened the web page, you can -continue editing grammars even while you are -offline. - -

Current status

- -

-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. - -

-The grammars created with this editor always consists of one file for the -abstract syntax, and one file for each concrete syntax. - -

Abstract syntax

- -The supported abstract syntax corresponds to context-free grammars -(no dependent types). The definition of an abstract syntax is limited to -

a list of category names, - Cat₁ ; ... ; Cat_n, -
a list of functions of the form - Fun : Cat₁ -> ... -> - Cat_n, -
and a start category. -

- -Available editing operations: -

Categories can be added, removed and renamed. When renaming a category, - occurences of it in function types will be updated accordingly. -
Functions can be added, removed and edited. Concrete syntaxes are updated - to reflect changes. -
Functions can be reordered using drag-and-drop. -

- -Error checks: - -

Syntactically incorrect function definitions are refused. -
Semantic problem such as duplicated definitions or references to - undefined categories, are highlighted. -

- -

Concrete syntax

- -At the moment, the concrete syntax for a language L is limited to -

opening the Resource Grammar Library modules - SyntaxL and ParadigmsL, - LexiconL and ExtraL, -
linearization types for the categories in the abstract syntax, -
linearizations for the functions in the abstract syntax, -
parameter type definitions, - P = C₁ | ... |C_n, -
and operation definitions, op = expr, - op : type = expr, -

- -Available editing operations: -

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. -
Parameter types can be added, removed and edited. -
Operation definitons can be added, removed and edited. -
Definitions can be reordered (using drag-and-drop) -

-Also, - -

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.) -
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 Other from the list and change - the language code afterwards to add a concrete syntax for a language - that is not in the list. -

- -Error checks: -

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.) -
Duplicated definitions are highlighted. Checks for other - semantic errors are delayed until the grammar is compiled. -

- -

Compiling and testing grammars

- -When pressing the Compile 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. - -

-Grammars in the -cloud

- -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. - -

-There is no automatic synchronization between local grammars and the cloud. -Instead, the user should press - [Cloud Upload] -to upload the grammars to the cloud, and press - [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. - -

-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. - -

-Note 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. - -

-Also note 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. - -

Example-based grammar writing

- -This is work in progress... - -

Future work

- -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. -

-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. -

-The current grammar cloud service is very primitive. In particular, it is not -suitable for multiple users developing a grammar in collaboration. - -