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Oblomovka

WAT

As of 2003-11-15, I don't use WAT myself anymore. This isn't because WAT is broken, but because I'm experimenting with other approaches. The code has been stable for a while now, but don't expect any improvements or extensions. Unless of course you write them and send them to me!

I've always used a simple text file to keep a grip on all the things I have to do - which may explain why I fail to do any of them. WAT is a little Perl program that can bi-laterally sync a todo text file with a Palm.

I was prompted to write it by the imminent arrival of Vim 6.0, which introduces outliner-style folding. I have to store a wee bit of state in the text file for syncing to work well, and folding lets me hide that data. It also means that I can put the notes that can be attached to Palm todo items into the text file without cluttering up the display.

Here's a couple of screenshots to show you what I mean. Here's how the text file looks: 

  3 Lunch with Z
%12619791
  2 Phone Tom Dolan
%12619995
  2 Fix button/zip on trousers
%12619981
  2 Finish zoom proqram
  Maybe have scaling?
%12619906
  2 Customising Mozilla
%12620020
  2 Tea with Peterme
%12620018
  2 Call Trevor Parsons @ linux user
%12620017
  2 Call Gill
%12619961
  2 Complete list of owned domains, and consolidate them
NTK Domains
ntk.net
spesh.com
kevinwarwick.org.uk
everybodyhatesattachments.com

One off jokes
teonline.co.uk

Future Projects
spoolfeed.com
spoolfeed.org

actuallyworks.com
oblomovka.com
%12619979
  2 set up and pln actuallyworks.com
Here's how it looks when folded under Vim 6:

Some of these items (shown in orange) have been unfolded - showing the state data (those %numbers), and the note attached to them. The rest have been folded up, including the domain list entry, which has its detailed note hidden.

Download

WAT is now up to version . Here's where you can get it:

wat - the Perl executable.
wat.vim - the Vim 6.x syntax file
README - how to get it to work
wat.tar.gz - all the above, tarred

You'll need the pilot-link Unix Palm utility, and the PDA::Pilot Perl module, which should come with it.