GROK(1L)GROK(1L)NAMEgrok - Desktop Database Manager and GUI Builder
SYNOPSISgrok [-h] [-d] [-v] [-t] [-T] [-p] [-f] [form [query]]
DESCRIPTIONgrok is a database manager that displays two-dimensional
databases using a card file paradigm. A GUI builder is
available to create user-defined applications. Grok comes
with a number of pre-built applications such as a phone
directory, todo lists, and a sample country database. The
form to display (phone, todo, countries, etc.) can be
given as the first parameter. This manual page describes
the command line options of grok. For information on how
to use grok, refer to the on-line help pages, and to the
PostScript or TeX manual.
OPTIONS
-h List available options.
-d Print fallback X resources and exit. The output can
be appended directly to the ~/.Xdefaults file for
modification of the geometry, color, and font
defaults.
-v Print the program version and patchlevel and exit.
-t Requires specification of a form. Without a query
string, prints all cards to stdout in the same for
mat that is used for the summary window in interac
tive mode. If a query is also specified, print only
cards that satisfy the query expression (see
below). The form may have a default query built in.
-T This option is equivalent to -t, but omits the
header line.
-p This option is equivalent to -p, but prints the
data in a format readable by the plan calendar pro
gram (see www.bitrot.de/plan.html). The format is a
colon-separated list: date/time, length, early
warn, late warn, day repeat, end date, color, note,
message, script, suspend flag, no-time flag, and
no-alarm flag. Colons, newlines, and backslashes in
fields are escaped with a backslash. If no query
string is given, the default plan query defined in
the form is used.
-f Don't fork on startup. This is useful for debug
ging.
form Specifies the database to display. Grok distin
guishes forms and databases. Both always come in
pairs. The form defines the representation of the
cards and the database provides the raw data. If no
form is specified, one can be chosen in interactive
mode. The -t, -T, and -p options require a form
argument.
query If the form has a built-in query, it is used to
select which cards in the database to display ini
tially. If there is no default query, all cards are
displayed. The query argument can be used to over
ride the default query. This option should always
be quoted with single quotes to keep the shell from
interpreting the query string.
There are different types of queries: '*' selects all
cards, '/string' performs a case-insensitive string
search, '{expr}' selects all cards for which the string
expression returns a non-null, non-'f' string, and
'(expr)' selects all cards for which the numerical expres
sion returns nonzero. The leading '/' in string searches
is optional. For a detailed description of query expres
sions, refer to the "Expression Grammar" item in the help
pulldown, or to the PostScript user's manual.
In addition to these options, grok supports the usual X
options such as -iconic. The -geometry option should not
be used to preset a window size; grok determines and fre
quently adjusts its own size.
EXAMPLESgrok
Start up grok with no form. The Database pulldown can be
used to choose one.
grok phone
Start up grok with the phone form. Perform that form's
default query if it has one.
grok phone '/thomas'
Start up grok with the phone form. Ignore the default
query and select only cards that contain the word
"thomas". Case is ignored.
grok-t phone '/thomas'
Print all cards of the form phone to stdout that contain
the string "thomas". Do not start the interactive user
interface.
grok phone '({_group == "f"} && {_email != ""})'
Start up grok with the phone form. Ignore the default
query and select only cards that describe friends that
have an email address.
FILES
Below, GBIN and GLIB refer to the installation directories
specified at the beginning of the Imakefile when the pro
grams were compiled. They are /usr/freeware/bin and
/usr/freeware/lib, respectively, by default.
*.gf Files ending with the extension .gf are
assumed to contain grok forms.
*.db Unless the form specifies otherwise, the
database that provides the raw data for
a form has the same path and name as the
form, but with the extension .db. Proce
dural databases have no extension.
. The current directory is searched first
for form files.
./grokdir The grokdir current directory is
searched next for form files. This is
done to allow grok to be started from
the source distribution directory for
evaluation.
~/.grok By default, all forms and databases are
stored here. By convention, all private
forms and databases are stored here.
This directory is searched after . and
./grokdir.
GLIB/grokdir This directory is searched last. It is
supposed to contain forms visible to all
users of a system. Only one user should
have write permission.
~/.grok/.grokrc Preferences and the current configura
tion of grok.
GBIN/grok The grok executable. This should be in
the user's search path. Form files are
set up so they can be "executed" by
feeding themselves to grok, as long as
grok is in the search path $PATH.
GLIB/grok.hlp All help texts used by the grok help
system.
AUTHOR
Thomas Driemeyer <thomas@bitrot.de>
Please send all complaints, comments, bug fixes, and port
ing experiences to me. Always include your grok version as
reported by "grok -v" in your mail. New forms for inclu
sion in the distribution are welcome. Make sure that your
email address is in the form's comment field, and that
there is some help information attached to the form with
the Def Help function.
To be added to the mailing list, send mail to major
domo@bitrot.de with the line "subscribe grok" (without the
quotes) in the message body (not the subject).
GROK(1L)
