Re: a true pop3 backend?

[Wes hardaker <hardaker@calwest.net>]

>>>>> On 21 Oct 1997 18:24:12 -0400, Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net> said:

Rat> The moment the session terminates, everthing the backend knows
Rat> about anything would be rendered utterly useless if any changes
Rat> have occoured to the remote mailbox.

That would be gnus's job...  Similar to the nnweb backend, the server
knows nothing and gnus has to track it itself.

Rat> The Post Office Protocols were never intended to be used
Rat> interactively.

True.  I don't necessarily imply otherwise.  Only gnus needs to have
the summary buffer updated.  You exit the summary buffer, and
re-enter, it dumps the *entire* headers again from the server.  Ugly, true.

Rat> I ask that that patch *NOT* be added to pop3.  pop3 is an
Rat> interface library, not a backend.  If you wish to develop a
Rat> replacement for the pop3-movemail reference implementation please
Rat> do so outside of the library.

Hmm...  That actually suprises me.  That patch didn't do almost
anything other than set up another variable allowing you to not call
the 'DELE' command on the server.  It hardly implements the backend
I'm suggesting.  It simply requires that the messages be left there.
Eudora and other smarter mail readers handling situations like this
(Lars is going to shoot me for even remotely implying Eudora might be
smarter in any way to gnus...) compare the msgid's of the current inbox
with those on the server to determine which to download.  That's where
their state comes in.  If you delete something locally not deleted on
the server, you'll quickly find them back in your inbox again the next
time you download new mail if you have the 'dont-delete-on-server'
setting set.

Anyway, as I previously mentioned, I hardly think this is a decent
interface for checking mail on a permenant basis.  Only a 'remote'
basis, when you are at a computer that you don't want to download the
mail to.

Kinda a like a browser...  Similar to the nnweb interface...  No nnml
message numbers...  Probably shouldn't even be stored in the
.newsrc.eld file, except for the fact that the newsgroup exists (ie,
there is no such thing as a 'read' article).

Wes

-- 
"Ninjas aren't dangerous.  They're more afraid of you than you are of them."