option to save Log and/or Cmd History as HTML with executable links

[Elaine Meng]

It would be cool to have an option or command to save the ChimeraX Log and/or Command History as HTML with the commands in the form of executable links. It would need to be clarified that the links would only work if the file was opened with the integrated browser, though. (can we still call the format “HTML” or is it "HTML*"?) The one with executing links would be useful for making demos.

The "log" command can save the Log contents as HTML now, but the command links are to the help (not to mention they don't work even when shown via the ChimeraX integrated browser... guess I'll report that separately).

[Greg Couch]

Additional markup would be needed -- perhaps nested <a>'s for documentation of command versus executing command, not sure if that is legal HTML or not. AFAIK, only one link could be active at a time. With enough markup, CSS could be used to show one or the other, and there could be a log menu item to switch between them.

[Elaine Meng]

Although the links to documentation are really useful when the Log is being used “live” in ChimeraX, if I had to choose one or the other when it was saved to HTML, I’d choose execution of the command.  Just seems more useful to me.  But maybe others would disagree.
Elaine

[Greg Couch]

From TomG:

Maybe we should also adapt links that run ChimeraX commands so they instead show the documentation for the command if they are clicked in an external browser. The way this might work is if the link in the html looks like

<a href=“../user/commands/ribbon.html” cxcmd=“ribbon /c”>

instead of our current

<a href="cxcmd:ribbon /c”>

Our internal browser could see the extra attribute cxcmd and execute it if it is clicked in the ChimeraX browser, but an external browser would ignore cxcmd and go to the documentation.

Greg's reply:

Webkit is handling the mouse click on links, so executing the command would need to be done with a right-mouse click that we can control.

[Greg Couch]

Talking with Conrad:

Another possibility would be to have the link on the text go to the documentation and have a "run" icon next to the command that would rerun it.

[Greg Couch]

Added a "carriage return" icon to rerun the command. If a saved log in opened in a non-ChimeraX browser, they work like other cxcmd links: "This link only works in a ChimeraX browser and would execute a command."

[Greg Couch]

Work to save log with commands that are executable links will be tracked in #917.