Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 3rd Jun 2008 17:47 UTC, submitted by ohxten
It's an ever-continuing debate: what is better, a graphical user interface, or a command-line interface? Graphical user interfaces may be easier to learn, but complicated operations may require a lot more user input than with a command line interface, which can perform several complicated operations by using a short sequence of words and characters. However, a CLI has a much steeper learning curve than a GUI. Google has always had a certain CLI-quality to it, and Stefan Grothkopp decided to take this a few steps further: say hello to Goosh.
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Member since:2006-10-08
A feature for searching images on Google and displaying the ASCII version of them will me at least interesting 
I'm thinking forward and may write some stupid ideas... :-)
First, you need an xargs line parameter processor that puts your input into an HTTP request (it should be easy to implement just by lloking what the browser sends to goosh when you enter some query text); then, you get a HTML answer back which you can process by piping it though lynx -dump or ripping the HTML cover off. If pictures are included, download them and convert them into ASCII art, there are libraries that do help with this kind of conversion. Or you output just a hyperlink so it can be postprocessed in other ways.
I'm thinking of a "real" CLI tool that can be embedded in scipts, or used on the console, the same way you use your usual CLI tools - including information redirection and piping. It would have to be able to be used in dialog mode and in batch mode (without interaction).
Just imagine what fun it could be to use google's power without the web layer! :-)
% grep -v root /etc/passwd | cut -d ":" -f 1 | goosh -img -goodluck -o - | convert_ascii | less
Member since:
2007-09-27
A feature for searching images on Google and displaying the ASCII version of them will me at least interesting