# HG changeset patch # User markus schnalke # Date 1341848465 -7200 # Node ID 5520bbde37670bb337d6cb3966081277636d0949 # Parent 72ef1f2e58a3bb81c838d9b9d1ad7f6f15e4fdd8 Renamed Chapter 3 back from `Future of mmh' to `Summary'. diff -r 72ef1f2e58a3 -r 5520bbde3767 future.roff --- a/future.roff Mon Jul 09 17:40:08 2012 +0200 +++ /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 @@ -1,130 +0,0 @@ -.H0 "Summary -.P -This document describes and explains my work on mmh. -I have streamlined the project by removing programs, facilities -and options that diverted from the main task of mmh, being a MUA. -I have modernized the code base removing obsolete functions and -activating modern features per default. -Further more, I improved the style by refactoring clumpsy code -and by defining or exploiting clear concepts. -All my work was motivated by Antoine de Saint Exupery's well-known -statement: -.[ -antoine de saint exupery: Wind, Sand and Stars (1939) -.] -.QS -It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing -more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove. -.QE -.P -In contrast to the common expectations, I have hardly added new features. -I regard my improvements in selecting the relevant set of existing -features and exploiting the concepts more thoroughly. -I believe, the result is a system simpler and clearer for both -developing and using, without lacking important functionality. - - -.U2 "Work Left to Do -.P -The work done during the project is not finished. -Several tasks are left to do, mainly the MIME integration. -.P -MIME handling is the most complex part of mmh and it requires -general rework. -The changes already done to it build upon the existing structure. -Yet, MIME support is not truly integrated. -For instance, accessing messages and accessing MIME parts of messages -have inherently different concepts, although a single concept should -cover both. -The sequence notation should provide a way to address MIME parts directly. -Furthermore, the sequence notation should be made more powerful in general. -For instance, it is currently not possible to access the second last -message in a given sequence. -Displaying messages with -.Pn show -requires further rework. -Encrypted messages, for example, should be decoded automatically -and digital signatures should be verified on-the-fly. -The whole task should be aligned with the common behavior of other -mail clients. -MH's unique features should not be lost, but the default should become -less surprising. -Transfer-decoding of the quoted text in replys and encoding of non-ASCII -characters in message header fields like -.Hd Subject -remain unsolved. -.P -Besides MIME-related tasks, some tools were not worked on yet. -Among them are -.Pn dist , -.Pn rcvdist , -.Pn mark , -.Pn pick , -and -.Pn sortm . -Concerning -.Pn sortm , -a threaded message view is completely missing to mmh, yet. -.Pn pick -could profit from message indexing. -No research was performed in this field. -.P -The features most often asked for are Maildir and IMAP support. -Yet, both of them collide with MH in the same fundamental way as -different filesystem approaches would collide with Unix. -Nevertheless, a storage back-end abstraction layer could provide -a mapping from such back-ends to the MH storage format. -Research in this area is highly appreciated. - - -.U2 "Relationship to nmh -.P -The mmh project started as an experimental version of nmh because the -nmh community did not welcome my changes in the mainline version. -To not slow my work down by the need to convince the community in -discussions for each step I liked to take, -I started to create an experimental version to convicce by demonstration -of the result. -My worked on mmh was independent of the nmh community. -This enabled me to follow my vision straightly and thus produce -a result of greater pureness. -.P -Mmh shall be considered an inspiration for the future development of nmh. -It shall show identify weak part of nmh and suggest possible -improvements by change. -It shall present a lean appearance that is simpler to understand -and work with for developers and users. -By all means shall my work on mmh improve nmh in some way. -Improving nmh directly in the way I wanted was impossible for me -due to personal and community-related circumstances. -The mmh project is my way to offer my gifts though. -.P -During my work on mmh, the community of nmh suddenly became very active. -They have worked on nmh in parallel to my work on mmh. -There was no collaberation in our work, except that I have pulled some -changes from nmh to mmh. -Our work was motivated partly by similar and partly by different aims. -Although some changes are common among both projects, -fundamental differences exist. -My experimental version thus more and more felt like being a fork. -I am undecided how I like to have it. -Yet, I am strongly convinced that most of the decisions taken in mmh -were good to achieve my goals and I like to push the project even -farther in this direction. - - -.U2 "Weaknesses of My Work -.P -not targeting on the right problems (maildir, imap) - -.P -refactoring requires testing, automated testing - -.P -communication with nmh. -worked behind closed doors, but no: -talks I've given - -.P -focus on myself. -But: If good for me then also good for others. diff -r 72ef1f2e58a3 -r 5520bbde3767 makefile --- a/makefile Mon Jul 09 17:40:08 2012 +0200 +++ b/makefile Mon Jul 09 17:41:05 2012 +0200 @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ NAME = thesis CHAPS = style front.roff dedication.roff abstract.roff toc.roff \ - preface.roff intro.roff discussion.roff future.roff refs.roff \ + preface.roff intro.roff discussion.roff summary.roff refs.roff \ official.roff colophon.roff PDFFLAGS = -sPAPERSIZE=a4 -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress REFER = refer -n -p bib -p rfcs -e -P -sLAD -l,2 -k diff -r 72ef1f2e58a3 -r 5520bbde3767 summary.roff --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/summary.roff Mon Jul 09 17:41:05 2012 +0200 @@ -0,0 +1,130 @@ +.H0 "Summary +.P +This document describes and explains my work on mmh. +I have streamlined the project by removing programs, facilities +and options that diverted from the main task of mmh, being a MUA. +I have modernized the code base removing obsolete functions and +activating modern features per default. +Further more, I improved the style by refactoring clumpsy code +and by defining or exploiting clear concepts. +All my work was motivated by Antoine de Saint Exupery's well-known +statement: +.[ +antoine de saint exupery: Wind, Sand and Stars (1939) +.] +.QS +It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing +more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove. +.QE +.P +In contrast to the common expectations, I have hardly added new features. +I regard my improvements in selecting the relevant set of existing +features and exploiting the concepts more thoroughly. +I believe, the result is a system simpler and clearer for both +developing and using, without lacking important functionality. + + +.U2 "Work Left to Do +.P +The work done during the project is not finished. +Several tasks are left to do, mainly the MIME integration. +.P +MIME handling is the most complex part of mmh and it requires +general rework. +The changes already done to it build upon the existing structure. +Yet, MIME support is not truly integrated. +For instance, accessing messages and accessing MIME parts of messages +have inherently different concepts, although a single concept should +cover both. +The sequence notation should provide a way to address MIME parts directly. +Furthermore, the sequence notation should be made more powerful in general. +For instance, it is currently not possible to access the second last +message in a given sequence. +Displaying messages with +.Pn show +requires further rework. +Encrypted messages, for example, should be decoded automatically +and digital signatures should be verified on-the-fly. +The whole task should be aligned with the common behavior of other +mail clients. +MH's unique features should not be lost, but the default should become +less surprising. +Transfer-decoding of the quoted text in replys and encoding of non-ASCII +characters in message header fields like +.Hd Subject +remain unsolved. +.P +Besides MIME-related tasks, some tools were not worked on yet. +Among them are +.Pn dist , +.Pn rcvdist , +.Pn mark , +.Pn pick , +and +.Pn sortm . +Concerning +.Pn sortm , +a threaded message view is completely missing to mmh, yet. +.Pn pick +could profit from message indexing. +No research was performed in this field. +.P +The features most often asked for are Maildir and IMAP support. +Yet, both of them collide with MH in the same fundamental way as +different filesystem approaches would collide with Unix. +Nevertheless, a storage back-end abstraction layer could provide +a mapping from such back-ends to the MH storage format. +Research in this area is highly appreciated. + + +.U2 "Relationship to nmh +.P +The mmh project started as an experimental version of nmh because the +nmh community did not welcome my changes in the mainline version. +To not slow my work down by the need to convince the community in +discussions for each step I liked to take, +I started to create an experimental version to convicce by demonstration +of the result. +My worked on mmh was independent of the nmh community. +This enabled me to follow my vision straightly and thus produce +a result of greater pureness. +.P +Mmh shall be considered an inspiration for the future development of nmh. +It shall show identify weak part of nmh and suggest possible +improvements by change. +It shall present a lean appearance that is simpler to understand +and work with for developers and users. +By all means shall my work on mmh improve nmh in some way. +Improving nmh directly in the way I wanted was impossible for me +due to personal and community-related circumstances. +The mmh project is my way to offer my gifts though. +.P +During my work on mmh, the community of nmh suddenly became very active. +They have worked on nmh in parallel to my work on mmh. +There was no collaberation in our work, except that I have pulled some +changes from nmh to mmh. +Our work was motivated partly by similar and partly by different aims. +Although some changes are common among both projects, +fundamental differences exist. +My experimental version thus more and more felt like being a fork. +I am undecided how I like to have it. +Yet, I am strongly convinced that most of the decisions taken in mmh +were good to achieve my goals and I like to push the project even +farther in this direction. + + +.U2 "Weaknesses of My Work +.P +not targeting on the right problems (maildir, imap) + +.P +refactoring requires testing, automated testing + +.P +communication with nmh. +worked behind closed doors, but no: +talks I've given + +.P +focus on myself. +But: If good for me then also good for others.