01-05-103 12:14:57 But now, let's start this meeting. 01-05-103 12:15:15 This meeting of WarpDoctor is now in session. 01-05-103 12:16:28 Someone taking the log? 01-05-103 12:16:55 The agenda is at http://www.warpdoctor.org/agendas/warpdoc_2003-01-05.html in case you haven't already read it. 01-05-103 12:17:07 Yup 01-05-103 12:17:22 Thanks, faithful taker of logs. :-) 01-05-103 12:18:59 A. NEW BUSINESS 01-05-103 12:19:20 Let's start the New Year with status reports. 01-05-103 12:19:23 Yea! 01-05-103 12:19:55 1a. DB2 engine. 01-05-103 12:20:14 Doug--do you have anything for us? 01-05-103 12:20:54 I have been looking at EPM macros/enhancers for the input part 01-05-103 12:22:24 I discovered that I am using a beta version of EPM (6.03 BETA) which is different from 6.03b. This has, I think, prevented me from running one of the packages that I tried 01-05-103 12:22:25 I understand; my wife stayed away from school work for the whole vacation, and it was nice to have her around for a change. 01-05-103 12:23:08 My plans for DB2 engine and plug-in are: 01-05-103 12:23:35 1) steal, or make a macro or series of macros for EPM to: a) add some level of HTML assistence 01-05-103 12:23:50 b) allow the user to "send" the file currently being edited to the database 01-05-103 12:24:23 This will involve parsing the file for tags, since those will have to be input as separate records 01-05-103 12:24:39 Sounds like a challenge. 01-05-103 12:25:00 If I can do that ALL in Rexx then I won't have to worry about compiling the macros inthe E language used by EPM - and hence avoid any version issues like I ran into 01-05-103 12:25:35 I need to make one more small modification to the plug-in so that a macro in EPM can talk to the plug-in - and send the file from a menu option in EPM 01-05-103 12:26:26 I believe we can stream the graphics data from the database with an appropriate graphics type header: e.g. jpg, gif, etc and have it handled correctly by the browsers 01-05-103 12:26:59 This SHOULDN'T be a big problem, if the graphics headers aren't special or stange depending ont he browser being used. 01-05-103 12:27:25 Doug, have you ever looked at the RXU library? 01-05-103 12:27:35 YEs - excellent library 01-05-103 12:28:30 Allows REXX developers access to much of C's capabilities. 01-05-103 12:29:00 to be perfectly honest - some of the functions in the RXU library I have duplicated in the plug-in, in order to avoid having to download the RXU DLL, which is about 120 - 190K 01-05-103 12:29:39 My goal was to keep the plug-in download as small as possible the plug-in itself is about 290k 01-05-103 12:30:09 Unfortunately when you add in the other stuff - like the security configuration thingy, and DrRexx, etc, the file size becomes almost 700k 01-05-103 12:31:16 When someone posts an "article" to the database server that article will consist of HTML. It might also consists of one or more graphics/images, plus one or more references/links 01-05-103 12:32:12 The html text and the graphics images must be stored as seperate rows in the database. The parseing or scaning of the html text file (when the user clicks on the "send" menu option in EPM) 01-05-103 12:32:47 will try and find all those graphic references so that they files can be uploaded into appropriate DB2 rows, and referenced correctly in the HTML text 01-05-103 12:32:53 Does this make sense? 01-05-103 12:33:13 yep 01-05-103 12:34:04 The database also needs to be setup (meaning triggers or references) so that when the row containing the HTML text is deleted, all the rows containing the graphic images are also deleted 01-05-103 12:34:30 references = referential integrity type constraints 01-05-103 12:35:39 I hope to have two input type screens: one contained within EPM, and one outside of EPM. The second to be used for inputing already composed text, or things other than HTML, such as PDF , etc. 01-05-103 12:36:48 The second screen will be done in DrRexx. The first will consist of Rexx and/or E language macros that add menu option(s) to EPM. The EPM macro(s) will interface back to the Rexx plug-in to send the file(s) and manipluate the database 01-05-103 12:37:37 So to finish up: plug-in: I have som fixes waiting to be uploaded. I will add the "external rexx" interface to the plug-in form EPM macros, then the plug-in is done 01-05-103 12:38:06 Database: make EPM macros, DrRexx screen(s) and build CGI part to input the data 01-05-103 12:38:17 Modify existing CGI routine for output to handle graphics images 01-05-103 12:38:20 done---- 01-05-103 12:38:29 Big Job! 01-05-103 12:39:13 Actually I am hoping its not that big of deal. There are a number of EPM macros that already exist that parse source files. I hope to be able to modify one of those 01-05-103 12:40:09 Doug, is there any way to reduce the plug-in to components so that you only have to load in what is needed at any given time? 01-05-103 12:40:26 I'm thinking of ways to reduce it's size. 01-05-103 12:40:47 Not everyone has a P4 with a cable connection. 01-05-103 12:41:06 You only need the plug-in to do data input, not to "use" the site. 01-05-103 12:41:45 If we leave out the security configuration thingy and DrRexx, we could probably get the file size down to about 300-350K 01-05-103 12:42:14 And the debug stuff 01-05-103 12:42:43 How much memory does DrRexx take? 01-05-103 12:43:26 Hello chatzilla 01-05-103 12:43:29 Good question. I don't know. But it was started before OS/2 v 2 existed, so my guess is not much 01-05-103 12:44:19 Did you mean RAM or disk space? 01-05-103 12:44:40 or download file size? 01-05-103 12:45:11 What I'm concerned about the amount of time a user might have to wait while the plug-in downloads. 01-05-103 12:45:23 Hence my reference to a cable connection. 01-05-103 12:45:53 the amount=is the amount 01-05-103 12:46:00 That is a very valid concern. We can setup an method for emailing input - but it will have limitations 01-05-103 12:46:29 DrRexx.exe is about 171K - uncompressed 01-05-103 12:46:34 I wouldn't want to do that. 01-05-103 12:46:47 why not? 01-05-103 12:47:24 I suppose we could have both. 01-05-103 12:47:34 hi -- just wanted to say I think you guys have done a great job with the rexx plugin... 01-05-103 12:47:50 And allow the user to make the choice. 01-05-103 12:48:06 Thanks Chuck 01-05-103 12:48:39 Ideally - the user would have the choice of: 1) email input, 2) ftp input , 3) use plug-in for input 01-05-103 12:49:06 1 & 2 would be almost the same, programming wise, to implement 01-05-103 12:49:17 When I started this discussion, I was just hoping there was a way to load the plugin in "pieces", as it was needed. 01-05-103 12:49:37 That would help "disguise" the download time. 01-05-103 12:50:00 There is. I can post the "pieces" and instructions, if you want to see what it looks like. 01-05-103 12:50:08 Splitting off the security overhead would be one way. 01-05-103 12:50:41 Sounds good. Let's give it a try. 01-05-103 12:50:48 I was initially hoping to keep the whole thing under 100K - but I failed 01-05-103 12:52:31 Good old elphantitus. hehe 01-05-103 12:53:30 Is that it Doug? 01-05-103 12:53:32 Yeah - it would have been alot easier to use C++ for parts of this, but I was afraid of what that woud do to the file size 01-05-103 12:53:36 YES 01-05-103 12:53:50 OK, THANKS. 01-05-103 12:54:06 hehe C++ is kinda bulky 01-05-103 12:54:10 That took care of a. and b. 01-05-103 12:55:02 c. and d. 01-05-103 12:55:33 I'm not a programmer, but I've delt with source code.. I've been the diference in size, between C, and C++ .. I hate compiling C++ apps :) 01-05-103 12:55:45 been = seen 01-05-103 13:52:10 What I'm working up to is that we need a committee (aka Team) to work on this mirror/hosting project. 01-05-103 13:52:46 And I can't think of anyone better to handle the position of leader of this team than you. 01-05-103 13:52:53 Would you accept? 01-05-103 13:53:04 I can set up a computer, we are behind a firewall. Right now our only Web service is Lotus Domino. 01-05-103 13:53:44 We are using Apache on the VOICE server 01-05-103 13:53:52 That's on HTTPS for salespeople and customer access. 01-05-103 13:55:23 I've not worked with Apache , but it shouldn't be abig problem 01-05-103 13:55:29 So I guess we have another Team--Web Hosting. 01-05-103 13:55:40 Leader-KenKrchnr 01-05-103 13:56:09 Members-Mark, Jeremy, Sector 01-05-103 13:59:29 I'm really excited about this development. :-) 01-05-103 13:59:51 However, we have one Team we haven't heard from 01-05-103 14:01:16 wdl: Do you have any developments to report, questions to ask, etc.? 01-05-103 14:02:01 Yes. I found LALCAN finally. Wrote him. Got a friendly but not useful note back. 01-05-103 14:02:23 In it, he said he'd send me all his past emails on the subject. Nothing yet. 01-05-103 14:02:47 When did you email you? 01-05-103 14:02:53 That was (initial contact) on 12-25-02) and response on 12-28-02. 01-05-103 14:03:52 Gordon tels me he's been collecting info for inclusion. I've not started yet, 'cause my own unanswered questions. 01-05-103 14:04:02 OK. It's probably time for you and your partner to start making plans for that site on your own. 01-05-103 14:04:10 What questions? 01-05-103 14:04:29 your partner=Gord 01-05-103 14:04:52 How do you want the info to look? Links (only)? Real data? - If so what, exactly? 01-05-103 14:05:47 Refresh my memory--what's in there now? 01-05-103 14:06:03 Not much. 01-05-103 14:07:42 OK, what about the group at large. How does everyone feel the info should look? 01-05-103 14:08:19 What's the url? 01-05-103 14:09:01 Just been lookin' for it. Lost it. Patience... 01-05-103 14:10:10 www.warpdoctor.org/hcl/ 01-05-103 14:11:00 We're about out of time. 01-05-103 14:11:25 I'm going to put you at the beginning of the list next week. Promise. :-) 01-05-103 14:14:43 Great. You've always been getting the crumbs, so to speak, and I feel bad about that. :-( 01-05-103 14:15:15 OK, anyone want to move that we adjourn the meeting? 01-05-103 14:15:38 I move we adjourn 01-05-103 14:16:29 All in favour, type Aye. 01-05-103 14:16:37 aye 01-05-103 14:16:38 Aye. 01-05-103 14:16:42 Aye 01-05-103 14:16:44 Aye 01-05-103 14:16:50 eye 01-05-103 14:18:20 Opposed? 01-05-103 14:18:34 Meeting Adjourned.