[Coco] Rainbow IDE 2.0

[Roger Taylor]

If any of you Rainbow users have some ideas for web-based 
interaction, I'm about to implement a UrlGet function into some of 
the IDE features that can read files from the web, such as .txt, 
.dat, .asm, or whatever.

My ideas for now are to check for IDE updates to some of the 
components, and offer to replace them automatically if you want; to 
allow for #urlinclude in your source code so you can assemble 
prewritten programs, subroutines, and equates stored at 
www.rainbowide.com, etc.; and to provide team programming support 
such as open source projects (but the latter will require an 
additional FtpPut function if I can pull that off later).

The UrlGet implentation will be totally safe and have download-only 
capabilities.  No uploads or web posting is even possible with this 
tool, so that is out of the question.

What led me to this idea is a new feature coming out in Rainbow's 
parent language (HLA) called @system(); which allows for the running 
of commands during the compile process.  If those commands issue 
stdout.put commands, the content can be included dynamically.  If 
that command is a UrlGet command that can retrieve from the web, 
well... the ideas are endless.  I haven't gotten that upgrade yet to 
HLA, but I do have a UrlGet command that I plan to put as an option 
in CCASM as well using a forced switch to allow those statements to 
retrieve source code lines from a web URL.  Otherwise, the assembler 
will operate as normal with absolutely no internet capabilities.

The Rainbow IDE has upgradeable components and DLLs that can be 
replaced easily by overwriting the original file and restarting the 
IDE.  This should allow you to upgrade components from the web 
without downloading the whole IDE installer again just by seeing 
what's new and then checking the box next to what you want to 
upgrade.  Although this is not my main goal for using UrlGet, it will 
be a nice addition as well as checking to see if you've got the 
latest version of Rainbow.

I'll definately add the option to download and install whatever BIOS 
ROMs you need for M.E.S.S. emulation of any system supported.  I 
think I almost have the entire collection which will be stored on my 
server so the IDE can see and download them to the place M.E.S.S. 
expects them to be.

I imagine a CoCo software depot can be maintained (even ready-to-run 
IDE projects) so that the IDE can show you a large menu of what's 
available and then you'd click on that item to load/edit or launch it 
in the emulator.

The fun is only beginning.