ml>>>> a piece of data between them was very easy for me... another
 ml>>>> term would be database of databases 

 JB>>> once you go ro 5NF every filed is optional or may be repeated
 ml>>              ^^^^^^ hunh???
 JB>>> any numbrer of times (except the key field)...

 JB> To fifth normal form (might be fourth normal form), It's been
 JB> a while since I studued that stuff...

oh... can't say that i've ever heard the term...

 ml>>>> not sure of the reference... i was thinking of keeping
 ml>>>> the POTS data the same and building from there..

 JB>>> why keep pots?

 ml>> why eliminate existing technology? what would be done if
 ml>> something happened to the internet and it collapsed? POTS
 ml>> will still be around for many years to come..

 JB> What I meant was why keep pots in all the records when a
 JB> large number of nodes don't use it.

ya don't! the first line contains all the data necessary for the node
information... if the node has no POTS capabilities, then there is no POTS
row... i was just starting all my examples with POTS and then putting in
the deviations after but the entries for a node could surely have a IP row
first and then the POTS next...

 JB>>>>> why not, it's not exaclty hard, if we're smart we'll be
 JB>>>>> able to co-opt some freeware SGML or XML (etc) parsing
 JB>>>>> library to the task (LGPL allows use if the library in
 JB>>>>> commercial code)

 ml>>>> understood but why? what is wrong with using a fixed
 ml>>>> format that is extensible?

 JB> why noty use the extensions to reduce size of the fixed
 JB> component to the essentials.

i just see no need to go to that level... plain ASCII text is fine and we
don't really need to go adding 's to everything, do
we?

 ml>> then you loose the placeholders... they are needed if
 ml>> they are the first row for that entry, too..

 JB> what I meant was by putting POTS into the extension
 JB> there's no need for empty fields, on non-pots systems.

won't be any empty fields, i don't believe...

 ml>> that's actually a normal part of fido mailer
 ml>> communications...

 JB> That's good.

 ml>> that's true... but i do rather kinda like my idea of adding a
 ml>> leading field that contains the connection type that the row
 ml>> refers to... that would also make it hugely easier to create
 ml>> oldstyle nodelist that contain just POTS info or IP info only..

 JB> The type flag would make the softwar emuch easier to write,
 JB> and yeah the program could probably be written fairly easily.

yup and with hardcoded settings for those nodes that don't carry needed info...

 JB>>> There remains the question of system flags (flags that arent
 JB>>> capability flags like " NEC ") do they go on all
lines or are
 JB>>> they autmatically duplicated somehow.

 ml>> automatically carried just like the rest of the data... its a
 ml>> "trickle down" type flow... if there are 10 fields in the first
 ml>> row and the second row only has data in fields 5 and 9 then those
 ml>> are the only two fields changed in the row generated from the data
 ml>> in the first row..

 JB> if is there's a flag on the first row that you don't want on
 JB> the second row, what do you do...

redefine that flag sequence on the subsequent row(s)

 JB> put it last on the fisrs row and use fewer commas on
 JB> the second row? (could work but could trap many programmers)

no, the flags section is a comma seperated list just like the row... kinda
like an OOP object as a data item in another OOP object...

 JB>>>>> I want to see a format that can handle any concievable method
 JB>>>>> of moving fido mail... even sneakernet. - disk format(s),
 JB>>>>> street address, contact name, room number, hours etc :)

 ml>>> >>> believe it or not, i know
some systems that used to
 ml>>> get their fidofix via snailmailed tapebackups..

 JB> My boss node just admitted that he carries echomail accross
 JB> the room on a floppy disk, from his internet machine to the
 JB> BBS. He's going on a motorbike trip so I the flow may bet a
 JB> bit lumpy as Hell only b able to poll his uplink where He
 JB> can find somewhere to plug his laptop in..

hehe... yup, sneakernetting has been done for many many years and most
don't even know they are doing it >

 ml>> fidonet has been moved via many different methods...

 ml>> radio broadcast, snailmail, DAT tape, QIC tape, VHS tape, morse
 ml>> code, and i'm sure that there are many other means..

 JB> Some jokers invented IP via carrier pidgeon, and it was tested
 JB> and found to work, throughput wasn't real impressive though.
 JB> if you're interested I'll try and dig up the RFC number.

hahahahahahahaha... i've seen it! now that's a memory! throughput? what's
that? the data gets to the destination, right? hehehehehehe...

)\/(ark