Re: conversation history

[Graham B. <gb...@ta...>]

It is times like this that I wish everyone on this list could program=20
and would submit patches.  There are a lot of good ideas here, but the=20=

issue is lack of time on part of the developers.  See my responses=20
below:


On Mar 24, 2004, at 10:22 AM, Jeffry Engert wrote:

>
> On Mar 24, 2004, at 9:53 AM, Jeremiah Blatz wrote:
>
>> So, my vote for any changes to the stored convo format would be=20
>> something like this:
>> * Make the file name end in .html
>> * Make there be no spaces in the file names, so as to ease=20
>> integration with xargs
>> * Perhaps wrap each message in the convo with something like a=20
>> <firemessage></firemessage> tag, and maybe even include a header like=20=

>> <fireconvo date=3Dxxxx ....> to include some more metadata without=20
>> interfering with web browser friendliness.
>>
>> Jer
>

This seems a bit similar to what I want to change to in a future=20
version.  Basically, I was thinking saving as xhtml (html that is xml=20
compatible).  Essentially, it will be an XML file that uses html tags. =20=

Now there will be additional tags surrounding the message portion quite=20=

similar to what you had above.  Currently I am looking at <message=20
received=3D"YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS =B1HHMM" translated=3D"yes">blah blah =
<font=20
color=3D"#ff0000">blah</font></message>.  I may have some of the tags=20
slightly wrong, but you get the idea.  Of course, translated will only=20=

be there if it really was translated.  I am going to need something=20
like this for what I am planning to do in the near future.  Fire will=20
read this as an XML file, and parse the XML, but browsers will see it=20
as html, so a .html may be the best option.  The XML will be in a nice=20=

format, so, you could take the XML, run it through an XSLT, and then=20
create custom HTML that can be displayed nice a pretty using a CSS.  I=20=

guess I should create a DTD at some point and let you guys comment on=20
it.  Enough acronyms for you?

The question I have for you all is the following:  How should the=20
display logs appear when you display it within a web browser?  Should=20
they appear as they do now, or should it look different?  Nothing=20
complex here, this is after all just if you don't want to see the logs=20=

in Fire.  Complexity can be done with the process I described above.

The key issue is going to be figuring out how to append to an existing=20=

file since XML parsers will throw an error if you don't close all tags,=20=

and inserts must be done inside some of the outer tags.  It is a=20
problem I am trying to consider.  Anyone has any ideas, go ahead and=20
suggest them.  At the moment, I am considering not closing the tags in=20=

the files, and append the closed tags to the string of the file upon=20
read, or re-writing the file each time.  Doing something like a fseek,=20=

and then writing may not be a bad idea, but I will have to see.


Submit ideas now, or don't complain when I finish ;)  This is a ways=20
off (post 1.0), but I will be tearing aport code soon.  You will see=20
the fruits of my last code shred really soon.

> Some things I'd like to have
>
> * save to rtf for friends

File -> Save Current Chat.  Has been there for a while

> * always log by name, ignore alias

Assuming you mean screenname, 1.0 does this.

> * or group by alias regardless of service they are chatting on

1.0's stored IM Controller converts (internally) screen names to the=20
current alias, and sorts by that.

> * search by time constraints
>

Sounds like a good idea, but once again, time constraints kill.

> also, am I the only user that has problems with conversations going on=20=

> two files because you closed the window too soon, or visa-versa? I=20
> don't think there is much that can be done about this... just dreaming=20=

> I guess
>