Posting to newsgroups
Suitable for student project. Assumes
hypertext editor, examples given
using the NeXTStep editor. See
also: other projects
Requirement
WWW clients can all read internet
news, but cannot post. . WWW editors
can create plain ascii or hypertext
documents. The requiremnent is to
be able to post news usingthe following
operations :
- Create new hypertext document for
later posting. This is a special
(new) state for a hypertext object,
in that it is not named or saved.
Allow selection of data type, currently
hypertext or plain text. In this
state:
- Allow editing of metainformation
(RCC822 headings) for document. This
information is stored in the Anchor
object, and this function is also
needed for any web documents.
- Create links to newsgroups by (Mark,
link) sequenece (or drag-and-drop)
-- that is, usin· allow editing of
document (as usual), and concurrently
- allow editing of metainformation
(RCC822 headings) for document. This
information is stored in the Anchor
object, and this function is also
needed for any web documents, and
- allow creation of links to newsgroups
by (Mark, link) sequenece (or drag-and-drop)
-- that is, using exactly the same
user interface as any other linking.
- Confirm posting, by using "save"
. According to user preference option,
put up confirmation window warning
that (a) the document will not be
modifyable once posted, and (b) that
it should be cross-posted simultaneously
to all relevant newsgroups.
- When posting is confirmed, document
becomes uneditable, and NNTP posting
is made. When the window is closed,
the document disappears and can only
be retrieved from one of the newsgroups
to which it was posted.
Posting by reference
It should be possible to post an
existing document by reference. An
attempt to make a link to an existing
document xxxx from a newsgroup will
cause a "copy of xxxx" to be generated,
and then the same procedure above
to apply.
Software components
The project would involve
- Additions to the CERN libwww , principally
to the HTNews module. This should
be done in close collaboration with
CERN staff, for integration with
the reference code.
- Addition of new menu items and other
GUI features.
- Extensions to the HyperText object
tù be aware of
Tim BL