crankymessiah wrote:
] ] SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA -- A single-key research utility that
] ] can open associated Web sites or files as you need them
] ] is making its appearance as ActiveWords, one of the
] ] highlights of the Demo 2003 show here.]
] ] Trying to explain what ActiveWords is can be a little
] ] like trying to explain TiVo upon its debut; it's a strong
] ] product that defies easy categorization. Even its
] ] developers find it hard to make a quick pitch.
] ]
] ]
] ] "It brings the user's vocabulary directly to the
] ] interface," says Peter Weldon, chief executive officer of
] ] ActiveWord Systems.]
] ] The utility can turn a few characters, a word, or a
] ] phrase into a shortcut for applications, files, and Web
] ] sites. It can also operate like Word's AutoText, except
] ] that you can invoke it in any text application. Announced
] ] Monday at Demo, each of the two versions can be
] ] downloaded now for a 60-day trial. The basic version,
] ] ActiveWords SE, costs $10; a deluxe version, ActiveWords
] ] Plus, costs $50.
]
] I sounds like my next software try. I really like the idea.

This software is the best software I have used in a long, long time. This is the bomb. I am now a smarter, more capable human being because of this link, and because of activewords. Thanks big (it just corrected my typo WEEEH!) for the link. Recommend this to everyone.

Its like it brings the command line back into the GUI.

Jello wrote:
]
] This software is the best software I have used in a long, long
] time. This is the bomb. I am now a smarter, more capable
] human being because of this link, and because of activewords.
] Thanks big (it just corrected my typo WEEEH!) for the link.
] Recommend this to everyone.
]
] Its like it brings the command line back into the GUI.

I know! I should have followed up on this sooner. This is fantastic. It seems to work in any application. I always wanted something like this that would work in notepad and Dreamweaver.

crankymessiah wrote:
] Jello wrote:
] ]
] ] This software is the best software I have used in a long,
] long
] ] time. This is the bomb. I am now a smarter, more capable
] ] human being because of this link, and because of
] activewords.
] ] Thanks big (it just corrected my typo WEEEH!) for the link.
]
] ] Recommend this to everyone.
] ]
] ] Its like it brings the command line back into the GUI.
]
] I know! I should have followed up on this sooner. This is
] fantastic. It seems to work in any application. I always
] wanted something like this that would work in notepad and
] Dreamweaver.

Can you use this thing to perform searches on MemeStreams?

Decius wrote:
]
] Can you use this thing to perform searches on MemeStreams?

Don't think so. :(

Decius wrote:
] crankymessiah wrote:
] ] Jello wrote:
] ] ]
] ] ] This software is the best software I have used in a long,
] ] long
] ] ] time. This is the bomb. I am now a smarter, more capable
]
] ] ] human being because of this link, and because of
] ] activewords.
] ] ] Thanks big (it just corrected my typo WEEEH!) for the
] link.
] ]
] ] ] Recommend this to everyone.
] ] ]
] ] ] Its like it brings the command line back into the GUI.
] ]
] ] I know! I should have followed up on this sooner. This is
] ] fantastic. It seems to work in any application. I always
] ] wanted something like this that would work in notepad and
] ] Dreamweaver.
]
] Can you use this thing to perform searches on MemeStreams?

Yes, you can. This works, but I wanna make it work where you just highlight text and hit an activekey and it will memestreams search it. Still reading the scripting language specs.

Inserting the following script allows you to do something like... ctrl-space-memes (or whatever you name the activeword), and then enter your search string in the popup box, and it will open up the memestreams search page for you.

Just create new activeword, type script, and put this under the action (I can't put this one line of code here, it won't let me so here's a link to it):

http://www.student.gsu.edu/~rjurney/memescript.txt

Pretty simple, but not ideal... still reading.

Jello wrote:

] Yes, you can. This works, but I wanna make it work where you
] just highlight text and hit an activekey and it will
] memestreams search it. Still reading the scripting language
] specs.

Wow, thanks for researching this. Whatever you come up with I'll put in the documentation and put out an article on it.

Decius wrote:
] Jello wrote:
]
] ] Yes, you can. This works, but I wanna make it work where
] you
] ] just highlight text and hit an activekey and it will
] ] memestreams search it. Still reading the scripting language
]
] ] specs.
]
] Wow, thanks for researching this. Whatever you come up with
] I'll put in the documentation and put out an article on it.

No problem. When do I get my stock options? :)

Jello wrote:

] No problem. When do I get my stock options? :)

Well, first I'd have to have enough money to afford the services of a lawyer who can make stock options....

Another activeword deal for you:

Again make a new activeword of type script, and put this under the action field (I can't put this one line of code here, it won't let me so here's a link to it):

http://www.student.gsu.edu/~rjurney/memescript2.txt

Now you can enter any one word of text followed by whatever you set the activeword to (mine is set to memed) and the activeword key, and you will get a memestreams search in your default browser. For instance, I type anywhere:

bacteria memed F8 (no space between memed and F8) and I get a memestreams search on bacteria. Only works for one word, because Activewords sucks and has not documented how to use the libraries that come with their Active Knowledge package to further customize things so that you can specify memestreams as the default site to search when you highlight text and hit a particular activeword. I'm emailing them to bitch. You should be able to do like... highlight any text, and hit an ativekey you set (say F7), and it will auto search memestreams. This works for a predefined list of sites... but I can't figure a way to add one, and while they talk about calling functions from packages like Active Knowledge (that does the highlight searches) in their documentation... I can't find any functions to call. I'm kinda pissed. The product is kinda immature is all.

Jello wrote:
] You should be able to do like...
] highlight any text, and hit an ativekey you set (say F7), and
] it will auto search memestreams. This works for a predefined
] list of sites... but I can't figure a way to add one, and
] while they talk about calling functions from packages like
] Active Knowledge (that does the highlight searches) in their
] documentation... I can't find any functions to call. I'm
] kinda pissed. The product is kinda immature is all.

So close! Tell me what they say in response to your email. If you can script it you ought to be able to script this.

The word based capability is kind of cool in that if you were, say, a writer, and you were working on something, and you hit on a word that you wanted more information about, you could type the word, and then a circle name, and hit the key and do a search on that specific circle.

But thats a pretty advanced use. I think people just want to be able to highlight text and hit a key.

I must say, I don't think it would be TOO hard to produce a peice of code for windows that subscribes to the keyboard messages, issues a system call for clipboard copy when the hot key is pressed, assembles this into a url, and pops it to your browser. I need freaking VC++...

Of course, I'm using my mac as my primary machine right now so I can't really use activewords even if I get it running on my PC. Maybe this is an excuse to learn how to write mac applications.

Decius wrote:
] I wonder if there is another tool out there for windows that
] lets you do a web search on selected text. I found two
] applications like this for OSX, one of which is totally
] configurable. I'll probably be posting something about it to
] the site soon....

Did some searching... I guess you could make a bookmarklet that you click on, and that will memestreams search highlighted text. This talks about that: http://www.webaugur.com/wares/toolbar.html Can you assign F-keys to different bookmarklets?

Jello wrote:
] Decius wrote:
] ] I wonder if there is another tool out there for windows that
]
] ] lets you do a web search on selected text. I found two
] ] applications like this for OSX, one of which is totally
] ] configurable. I'll probably be posting something about it to
]
] ] the site soon....
]
] Did some searching... I guess you could make a bookmarklet
] that you click on, and that will memestreams search
] highlighted text. This talks about that:
] http://www.webaugur.com/wares/toolbar.html Can you assign
] F-keys to different bookmarklets?

Well, the recommend bookmarklet is based on those search bookmarklets.... it inputs the selected text into the description for your url instead of a search. My bookmarklet works better then most. Most of these either have trouble with different browsers or they can't handle frames. Mine works well for most webpages and common browsers.

Thing is I'm really interested in having something that works in any application. I just send you a link with a $14 shareware app that may do the trick. Check it out and tell me what you think...