Oriel is a
scripting language
A scripting language or script language is a programming language that is used to manipulate, customize, and automate the facilities of an existing system. Scripting languages are usually interpreted at runtime rather than compiled.
A scripti ...
released with the ''Power Tools'' series of instructional books written by the LeBlond Group. Described in its documentation as a "graphics-based batch language", it was originally designed for
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational technology company, technology corporation producing Software, computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at th ...
Windows 3.0 and released with the book ''Windows 3 Power Tools'' in 1991.
[COMPUTE! Issue 134 - http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue134/143_Windows_3_Power_Tool.php] However, versions of the language were also bundled with ''Windows 3.1 Power Tools'' in 1992 and ''Windows NT Power Tools'' in 1994.
The suggested extension for an Oriel script file was ORL. Oriel was distributed with two executables: ORIEL.EXE, and MKRUNTIM.EXE. The former was the Oriel interpreter, which when invoked would prompt the user to choose a script file for execution. The latter gave the user the ability to create custom executables by bundling a script within a copy of the interpreter. In this way, an Oriel program could be distributed and run in the same way as any other Windows
EXE.
The language was named after the
oriel style of
bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room.
Types
Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or ...
. A window of that style is depicted in the icon distributed with the runtime.
Examples
The following program displays a
modal dialog box
The dialog box (also called dialogue box (non-U.S. English), message box or simply dialog) is a graphical control element in the form of a small window that communicates information to the user and prompts them for a response.
Dialog boxes ar ...
containing a
hello, world message.
MessageBox(OK, 1, INFORMATION, "Hello, world!", "Oriel Says Hello", responseValue)
An Oriel program will always possess a main window over which a dialog box of this type would appear. The following code gives that window a title, maximizes it, and instructs it to remain open until the user closes it. This code also demonstrates retrieval of window information and use of string variables. A function call of SetWindow(MAXIMIZE) could replace the second and third lines.
UseCaption("Welcome to Oriel")
WinGetActive(windowName$)
WinShow(windowName$, MAXIMIZE, resultValue)
MessageBox(OK, 1, INFORMATION, "Hello, world!", "Oriel Says Hello", responseValue)
WaitInput()
See also
*
Batch file
References
Further reading
*{{cite book , last=Leblond , first=Geoffrey T. , author2=Leblond, William B. , author3=Palonus, Jennifer L , title=Windows 3 Power Tools , publisher=Bantam Computer Books , isbn=0-553-35298-9
Scripting languages
Programming languages created in 1991