Confusing textwrap parameters, and request for RE help

[Chris Angelico]

On Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 8:31 PM DL Neil via Python-list
<python-list at python.org> wrote:
> 1 what features does the terminal offer when a user 'clicks'?
> Is it only applicable to URLs and linked to the web-browser within
> "Preferred Applications"? Are you able to 'grab' that click from the
> app? eg MOUSEDOWN*.

In most terminal emulators, and certainly in xfce4-terminal, a URL can
be highlighted and right-clicked on.

Grabbing clicks IS possible, but that has other consequences, and is a
subject for a separate thread (which I may end up raising).

> 2 ultimately, you're on-a-hiding-to-nothing (apologies to
> non-English-English speakers: means 'no hope'!) given that URLs are
> defined by, but not length-limited by, RFC. Any 'limits' are applied by
> implementation/web-browser publishers. Currently in-use editions may
> vary widely, ie from 2K~64K. Any and all of which would blow terminal
> line-lengths right out-of-the-water.

Yeah, that part isn't too bad - what ends up happening is that the URL
doesn't get wrapped. It's not pretty but it's functional.

> However, may we return to my earlier question: could the app trap a
> 'click'? In which case, the app could store the actual-URI and provide
> its own Curie-like URL-shortening service, by substituting some
> (shorter!) 'click-here' text into the presentation. On the
> return-journey, in capturing the click, the app could substitute
> back-again before passing the full-length URI to the web-browser.

Yes, there are two ways that could be done: the hyperlink protocol,
which isn't supported in most terminal applications; or manually
handling all clicks, which quite possibly will end up being what
happens.

> * I've been looking at edX's "Creative Coding" online course. It is
> aimed at artists and animators learning to code, and thus aims to make
> the computer draw (instead of counting dollars-and-cents, per the usual
> course-format). Sadly it is JavaScript-based (the p5.js library). Why do
> things the easy way? Nah! Instead, I've been investigating a 'corner' of
> Python with which I have had no contact to date. The Pygame library
> offers a drawing "canvas", hence it gaining my attention. Plus, without
> the complication of a full-fat GUI, (I think) it will present text AND
> allow keyboard and mouse-key trapping - all from the comfort and glory
> of a terminal-based Python program...
>
> Have you ever poked into this dark corner of the pip-y-verse?
> Would you like a PoC (I'll call it 'coursework')? (tomorrow)
>

Never looked into that. I'm not really into art, sorry. (I once did a
ten-minute art jam on a topic of "video game characters", and my
chosen medium was... matplotlib. I'll let you guess at the details.)
Drawing's never been something I'm any good at.

ChrisA