Subj : Re: %HELP ?
To   : Mark Lewis
From : Nick Andre
Date : Wed Jan 18 2017 10:01 pm

On 18 Jan 17  20:06:06, Mark Lewis said the following to Nick Andre:

ML>  WV>> There is a proposal though: http://ftsc.org/docs/fsc-0057.003
ML> 
ML>  WV>> And a majority of tossers conform to this more or less...
ML> 
ML>  NA> Its not standard,
ML> 
ML> agreed... but the document is a proposal that covers many areafix interface

That very well may be true, but for every person new to D'Bridge that expects 
the same "advanced" functionality in Areafix as lets say, Fastecho, and 
complains to me that D'Bridge is not in line with a "standard", I always ask
to have the standard quoted back to me. Now cue to the crickets chirping.

That is why you have an obsessive need to collect the various "help" screens
from many Areafix systems, because none of them with advanced 
functionality collectively follow a published standard set of commands.
Percent commands, reg-ex, wildcards, etc. Its a bit of a mess... and overall I
just find it a logical waste of time when basic commands suffice.

The Areafix code in D'Bridge was written heavily around what was "standard" 
for Areafix at the time... 1989. Add areas, remove areas. List and query. 
Thats it. Chris coded "ALL" and "-ALL" but thats really it for wildcards.

Adding percent-commands and the like means I have to rewrite the whole Areafix
code... which has worked since 1989. Takes hours, maybe days... loyal D'Bridge
fans begin to worry that I may break it and then we're back to "D'Broke".

Which is why I find it rediculous that I should write a full-blown Areafix to 
cator to some obscure functionality like I explained to Wilfred - Changing 
packet compression, passwords. How often does that realistically happen for a 
particular downlink? Remember Mark, I run a very busy Fido hub so I know what 
typical downlinks use and what they don't use. Those that aren't typical end 
up contacting me and we have some good silly banter back and forth... thats a 
more rewarding experience for me than studying help-screens.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
 * Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (1:229/426)

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