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Tcl: Overview of a Universal Scripting Language

This document discusses Tcl, a universal scripting language created by John Ousterhout. Some key points: - Tcl was created to provide a reusable scripting language that could be embedded in applications to provide interactive command languages. It allows applications to be extended with additional features through scripts. - Tcl has a simple syntax similar to shell scripting languages and supports variables, expressions, procedures, conditionals, and access to files and processes. All data is represented as strings for easy access from C. - Applications embed Tcl by generating scripts, parsing them, and extending Tcl's built-in commands through application-specific command procedures implemented in C. This allows new object types and operations to be defined to build

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198 views9 pages

Tcl: Overview of a Universal Scripting Language

This document discusses Tcl, a universal scripting language created by John Ousterhout. Some key points: - Tcl was created to provide a reusable scripting language that could be embedded in applications to provide interactive command languages. It allows applications to be extended with additional features through scripts. - Tcl has a simple syntax similar to shell scripting languages and supports variables, expressions, procedures, conditionals, and access to files and processes. All data is represented as strings for easy access from C. - Applications embed Tcl by generating scripts, parsing them, and extending Tcl's built-in commands through application-specific command procedures implemented in C. This allows new object types and operations to be defined to build

Uploaded by

Yuvaraja
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

John Ousterhout
Sun Microsystems Laboratories
[email protected]
http://www.sunlabs.com/~ouster

Introduction

What is a scripting language?


High level (basic units are big).
Most programs are short (extensions, glue).
Dynamic (interpreted).
What is a unversal scripting language?
Single language for many purposes.
Embeddable and extensible.
Benefits:
Easy to learn and use (5-10x faster than C?).
Power: more things programmable, applications work
together.
Active objects: replace data with scripts.

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 2

Outline

An example:
Tcl: universal scripting language.
Tk: GUI toolkit based on Tcl.
Language rationale:
Unusual design goals (e.g. extensibility).
Key features:
Unstructured (everything's a string).
No grammar.
Quote by default.
Substitutions.

Challenge: raise the level of language design.

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 3

How I Got Started

Interactive programs need command languages:


Typically redone for each application.
Result: weak, quirky.
emacs and csh powerful, but can't reuse.
Solution: reusable scripting language.
Interpreter is a C library.
Provides basic features: variables, procedures, etc.
Applications extend with additional features.

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 4

Tcl: Tool Command Language

Simple syntax (similar to sh, C, Lisp):


set a 47
47

Substitutions:
set b $a
set b [expr $a+10]

47
57

Quoting:
set b "a is $a"
a is 47
set b {[expr $a+10]} [expr $a+10]

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 5

More On The Tcl Language

Rich set of built-in commands:


Variables, associative arrays, lists.
C-like expressions.
Conditionals, looping:
if {$x < 3} {
puts "x is too small"
}

Procedures.
Access to UNIX files, subprocesses.
Only representation is strings:
Easy access from C.
Programs and data interchangeable.

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 6

Factorial Procedure
proc fac x {
if $x<=1 {return 1}
expr $x*[fac [expr $x-1]]
}
fac 4

24

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 7

Embedding Tcl In Applications

Application generates scripts.

Tcl parses scripts, passes words


to command procedures.

Application extends built-in


command set:

Tcl

Application
Init

Parser

Command
Loop

Built-In
Commands

Application
Commands

Define new object types in C.


Implement primitive operations
as new Tcl commands.
Build complex features with Tcl
scripts.

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 8

Extensions
Init

Parser

Command
Loop

Extensions can be developed independently:


Network communication, database access, security, ...
Applications can include combinations of extensions.

Tcl: A Universal Scripting Language

October 26, 1995, slide 9

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