Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!syd
From: syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.elm
Subject: Re: Hey Syd, here's a couple of ideas!
Message-ID: <1991Jun20.141539.16160@DSI.COM>
Date: 20 Jun 91 14:15:39 GMT
References: <1991Jun20.044510.781@osh3.OSHA.GOV>
Reply-To: syd@DSI.COM
Organization: Datacomp Systems, Inc.  Huntingdon Valley, PA
Lines: 44

chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip Yamasaki) writes:
>I'll look at it some more and see how the Elm community and developers
>react to a suggestion or two.
I have been told I react poorly to suggestions......

>They complained that Elm doesn't have a "menu".  I'd call it a menu, but
>I think what they are looking for is a point and shoot type of thing
>with the current selection in reverse video and the arrow keys in
>control.
Elm does not have that type of menu currently, but a character based
point and shoot menu is under consideration for the character based
front-end for Elm 3.0.

>Another complaint is no binary attachments.
This one has been under discussion since 2.2 was being developed.  We
even, internally, floated a proposal about it.  No one did anything
with it, partly because the AT&T method, Content-Type:/Content-Length:
for attachments didn't go anywhere and become a 'global' standard,
and at that time, not too much need, compared to now.  Plus, at that
time, most mail transports were not 8 bit clean, so the best
we could do would be a uuencoded attachment....

Now, the IAB is just starting the process of standardizing an attachment
interface/headers.  That work is going to take a while until the standard
becomes published.  I would like Elm 3.0 to honor that standard (and
perhaps also the older AT&T one), but I think it will come out too late
for use in 2.4.

>Finally, a nice touch is their editor.  I've seen lots of callsfor a
>simple editor, but no great responses.
I would love a 'simple' editor to distribute with Elm as a contributed
product.  I am even threatened myself to 'write one' but I don't really
have the time if I am to get 2.4 out.  I also view this as a major
shortcoming.

>Another thing I have yet to see is a macro language or API for Elm. 
I need some convincing here that an Elm macro language would really
do something and buy you something....   As for API, I am unsure
how that would be used.... I need some 'education' there.
-- 
=====================================================================
Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP                   Elm Coordinator
Datacomp Systems, Inc.                          Voice: (215) 947-9900
syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd                        FAX:   (215) 938-0235