This week's Tcl-URL

QOTW:  "... At this point, you have a variable named {-1} with the value 21.
When passing variables by reference, and then using upvar, you need to pass
the *name* of the variable, not its value." - Glenn Jackman

"[V]ery few bytecodes have an opcode for
'increment-hash-entry-and-fire-attached-traces'."  Donal K. Fellows


POTW:  Andres Garcia updates the multi-protocol fetcher TclUrl to the
libcurl 7.10.4
    http://personal1.iddeo.es/andresgarci/tclcurl/english/


Threads on comp.lang.tcl
   Coding on demand for a custom entry dialog to collect a line of
   user input:
        http://groups.google.com/groups?th=f26d4032375bcaaf

   Newbies wonder: What distinguishes the various Tcl shells and consoles?
        http://groups.google.com/groups?th=e52a5ede021b788c

    Csaba Nemethi updates his excellent tabular display Tablelist 3.2,
    and especially refines "move column"
        http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=b6fm0c%24me4%2402%241%40news.t-online.com

    How to think about cross-platform issues with Tclkits:
	http://groups.google.com/groups?th=1737c011e2322255

    Need to synchronize two text widgets?  Bryan Oakley and others offer
    examples and analysis:
        http://groups.google.com/groups?th=1126180d0f5c752a

    Case-insensitive lsearch is very easy with -regexp, and the alternatives
    can be slow:
        http://groups.google.com/groups?th=6f2d67cba82915ba

     Issues with Daylight savings time adjustments are often not what
     they seem (OS bugs too (gasp!))
        http://groups.google.com/groups?th=7ea15b99e811be8f

    Want to draw canvas rects with the same 3d effects and colors 
    as the OS uses?  Tcl code given:
        http://groups.google.com/groups?th=2c8881903d7be814


Wiki activity -- This summary of the past week represents a small fraction
of new material. Last week's changes on the Wiki seemed to concentrate on
algorithms and techniques.  Thanks to Arjen Markus for his help with the
review.
     A "Batteries Included" binary release for MAC OSX Aqua is on the
     Tcl Wiki:
        http://mini.net/tcl/8702

     Simulating the natural world. Colliding balls gets a thorough
     tune-up in Colliding Coins:
        http://mini.net/tcl/8709

     There are now at least two ways to automatically fetch and run code
     snippets from the Wiki:
        http://mini.net/tcl/8179    and http://mini.net/tcl/8679

  Fun applications:
  - The Wiki contains lots of small applications, they can be run
    using various techniques, if the page that holds them obeys a
    few simple rules. Check out: <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8179> and
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8679>
  
  - This might be an opportunity to dust off your chess skills
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8708>
  
  - MP3 files seem to contain a lot of information, now available 
    via Tcl: a little viewer, <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8698> which 
    builds on <http://wiki.tcl.tk/3272>
  
  Pure algorithms:
  - Comparing sets of things is amply discussed in <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8719>
  
  - Drawing 3Dish rectangles, not too difficult when you have figured
    out how to derive the colours, <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8722>
  
  - Programming and using invariants, it is all in a day's work, 
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8338>
  
  - Design questions surround a little dialogue to enter a value,
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8692>
  
  - Use the power of Tcl/Tk to provide a *separate* GUI to a program, or a 
    shell script, <http://wiki.tcl.tk/8684>
  
  And if you have not seen the one you are looking for:
  A mighty collection of algorithms is found at <http://wiki.tcl.tk/526>
  
  
  Some technical items:
  - Events that have to do with the window manager: get a grip on them,
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/3341>
  
  - Programmers differ in style, but here is an overview if you want 
    more uniformity and readability in your source code,
    <http://wiki.tcl.tk/708>
  
  - Artificial intelligence and Tcl? <http://wiki.tcl.tk/1065> has a 
    bunch of pointers for you.
  
  - Databases and Tcl? <http://wiki.tcl.tk/620> has a wagon load of
    pointers. Be sure to look for pages on your favourite system too!
  

Everything you want is probably one or two clicks away in these pages:

    The "Welcome to comp.lang.tcl" message by Andreas Kupries
        http://www.purl.org/net/tcl-welcome

    The Tcl Developer Site is Tcl's "home base".
	http://www.tcl.tk

    Larry Virden maintains a comp.lang.tcl FAQ launcher
        http://www.purl.org/NET/Tcl-FAQ/

    The Tcl Developer Xchange is a highly organized resource center
    of documents and software with provisions for individuals to
    maintain references to their own software:
        http://www.tcl.tk/resource/
    The TDX sponsor, ActiveState, also keeps info to convince your
    boss Tcl is a good thing
        http://www.tcl.tk/scripting/

    The Tcl'ers Wiki is a huge, dynamic, collaboratively edited repository
    of documentation, examples, tutorials and pontifications on all things Tcl.
        http://wiki.tcl.tk/0
    For the ideal overview of the topics about Tcl most likely to
    interest a newcomer, see "Arts and Crafts ..."
        http://wiki.tcl.tk/969

    ActiveState maintains binaries distribution and development tools
        http://www.activestate.com/Tcl
    along with a Cookbook of Tcl recipes
        http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Tcl

    Cameron Laird tracks several Tcl/Tk references of interest
        http://phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.tcl/

    Cetus Links maintains a Tcl/Tk page with verified links
        http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_tcl_tk.html

    Google Groups archives comp.lang.tcl.announce posts
        http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tcl_announce/   

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Suggestions/corrections for next week's posting are always welcome.

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