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 t� be aware of

Tim BL