Re: lynx-dev LYNX: how to P(rint) while in dropdown-list wanting item-choice?

[David Combs]

On Fri, Feb 25, 2000 at 02:44:13PM -0800, David Combs wrote:
> 
> Look at this:
> 
>                +------------------------------------------------------+Footer
>                 | (371)Cat Litter Additives                            |
>    [1][LINK]-[2]| (372)Cat Litter Scoops                               |
>                 | (373)Cat Milk Replacer, Food Supplement              |
>   
> 
> That's the top 4 lines of a VERY LONG drop-down list (must be several
> thousand lines long -- each <space> gives you another "page" on
> this dropdown list.
> 
> It wants me to CHOOSE one of the items, by moving cursor (vi vikeys,
> for me), and as soon as I do choose one, the dropdown disappears --
> ie I can no longer see that page of it.
> 
> What I want to do is to p(rint) it, to have some RECORD of just
> what (pet) items EXIST at this site.
> 
> But there is no way to enter the "p".
> 
<snip>


Here's the html (snipped) for that list:


>       </select> </td>
>       <td align="center"><font face="Verdana" color="#408080"><b>Or 
> ...</b></font></td>
>       <td align="right"><font face="Verdana" 
> color="#408080"><b>Category</b></font></td>
>       <td align="left"><!--webbot bot="Validation" 
> S-Display-Name="Manufacturer" B-Value-Required="TRUE" --><select 
> name="Manufacturer" size="1" style="background-color: rgb(255,255,128)">
>         <option value="ALL">Search ALL Categories</option>
>         <option>*African Cichlids</option>
>         <option>*Aqua Live rock</option>
>         <option>*Aquarium Freshwater Plants (latin A-d)</option>
>         <option>*Aquarium Freshwater Plants (latin E-m)</option>
>         <option>*Aquarium Freshwater Plants (latin N-z)</option>
>         <option>*Corals Hard</option>
> ... (600 more!) ...
>         <option>Small Animal Water Bottle</option>
>         <option>Small Animal Water Bottle Holder/guard</option>
>         <option>Small Animal Wheels</option>
>       </select> </td>

Now, as I understand it, it is the BROWSER (ie lynx) that
asks for the input, under control of the html.

So now I will switch to a related subject:

Suppose (via \) we've gotten the html for that 600-long list of pet
items.  Note that we cannot even VIEW the whole thing (in lynx)
at one time.  (lynx shows it one "page" at a time).


Suppose I get that html into vi, whipping back and forth
through it, using regexs for searches, g/xxx/p, etc,
or I just grep -in on it (thus also, as in vi, getting
the LINE NUMBERS of the kitty-items IN the html file --)

and suppose what I want to do is type in the LINE NUMBER of the item
(as discovered via vi or grep, rather than so tediously, page
by page, having to move the cursor to the actual kitty-item I'm
interested in) ...


You get the idea.

If it is LYNX that is doing this "please choose an item" stuff,
then lynx could also have some nifty extensions, for us lucky
lynx-users, eg ability to enter line-number of the current .html-file
being displayed, and lynx lets us choose THAT way.

What say?

Should sure make it easier for us when there's these HUGE lists.

---

Another idea.  There could be an option, or some "escaped" command,
for such list, telling lynx to write it out into an ascii file,
listing just the items IN that list -- but ALL of them, not
just a page's worth.  Even with a lynx-generated choice-number for each one.
, we could enter THAT number (escaped somehow, I guess).


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