Automating the Web with WebL

By Hannes Marais and Tom Rodeheffer

Dr. Dobb's Journal January 1999

<b>(a)</b>
page = GetURL("http://www.digital.com")
<b>(b)</b>
page = GetURL(
     "http://www.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/query",
     [. pg="q", what="web", q="java" .])
<b>(c)</b>
page = GetURL("http://www.altavista.digital.com/") ?
     GetURL("http://www.altavista.yellowpages.com.au")
<b>(d)</b>
page = GetURL("http://www.altavista.digital.com/") |
     GetURL("http://www.altavista.yellowpages.com.au")
<b>(e)</b>
page = Timeout(10000,
     GetURL("http://www.altavista.digital.com/") |
     GetURL("http://www.altavista.yellowpages.com.au"))
<b>(f)</b>
page = Retry(
     GetURL("http://www.altavista.digital.com/") ?
     GetURL("http://www.altavista.yellowpages.com.au"))
<b>(g)</b>
page = Retry(
     GetURL("http://www.digital.com") ?
     Timeout(10000,Stall()))

Example 1: Program fragments using primitive services and service combinators.