IOCIT
Abstract
iocit is a set of simple python scripts with great ambitions.
It useful for collecting and manipulating different types of text data.
What for?
When you read something you may save any citation or unknown word or something else in a text file on your hard drive. Just select it and press predefined hotkey - iocit will store your selection. You may create as many files as you want, just tell it to iocit by editing config.py.
After that iocit will show you collected strings sometimes and do another useful things.
Scripts
* savecit.py - save selected text in a file
* showcit.py - show notification with random saved string
* config.py - configuration file
You may use it as is from command line.
python /path/to/sctipt/savecit.py
python /path/to/sctipt/showcit.py
savecit.py has following keys:
-s N - where to save text. 'N' is number of target file, see config.py
-t - add '\t' symbol in the end of string before saving (for creating tab-separated values)
But using keybindings and periodical notifications makes iocit much more useful.
Additional software
For lunux:
* xsel - work with buffers (including selected text)
* xbindkeys - call anything with hotkeys
* notify-send - show notifications
* dzen2 - show notifications too (it's more fun!)
* cron - do something in predefined time
What to do to make it work
1. Install requared utilities. You may use another software, just rewrite some methods.
2. Edit configuration file. Read comments inside.
3. Bind hotkeys. Edit your .xbindkeysrc by adding following strings. You may use any hotkeys you like. My .xbindkeysrc looks like this:
#save selected string in target 1
Alt + 1
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 1
#save selected string in target 2
Alt + 2
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 2
#save selected string in target 3
Alt + 3
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 3
#for default target and for applications with reserved Alt + num
Control + Alt + n
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 0
#following strings useful for saving tab-separated values. If you want to save a term, then tab symbol, then defenition of the term, use following
#save selected string in target 1 and add tab symbol after it
Alt + Shift + 1
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 1 -t
#save selected string in target 2 and add tab symbol after it
Alt + Shift + 2
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 2 -t
#save selected string in target 3 and add tab symbol after it
Alt + Shift + 3
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 3 -t
#for default target and for applications with reserved Alt + num
Control + Alt + m
python /path/to/script/savecit.py -s 0 -t
4. Add a task into crontab. You will see notification window with random string from one of your files.
crontab -e
Add following string into crontab:
#I prefer to see notifications every 5 minutes
*/5 * * * * python /path/to/script/showcit.py
5. Make savecit.py and showcit.py executible
chmod a+x /path/to/script/*.py
6. Don't forget about python!
Success story
For instance, I collect data in 4 files.
0. default
[tab] in example means '\t' symbol between strings.
bla
blabla[tab] bla
1. glossary
a term[tab] defenition of the term
a term without defenition
another term[tab] another defenition
2. citation
"A citation from a book or blog which i have read recently. I can edit it by hand in text file called 'citation' btw"
3. googleit
Example:
Laplasian smoothing
another words
which i don't want to forget
and google it later
Every 5 minutes iocit takes a string from any of this files and shows it to me in notification window. So I passively learn unknown terms and remember everything what i want to google. Also my mind and spirit rises when i read a great citation sometimes. I am not bored with it because I dont't now which type of data I will see next. Long life random!
Plans
To create a set of small scripts for easy and fast processing of little text pieces.
Collect and manipulate!
TODO
* Add boolean value show or not strings from this files with notifications
* Add optional tags in the end of any string (comma-separated)
* Call google search for any string
* Call translator for any string
* Rewrite README
* Use command-line keys to define what additional software to use