ietf-nntp DEBUG command (9xx)

[Chin Chee-Kai]

On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Clive D.W. Feather wrote:

>> section-4d2.txt: Doesn't mention DEBUG, but suggests a new 9xx class of
>>                  response meaning "another response follows immediately".
>> 
>> 
>> In http://www.davros.org/nntp-texts/section-4d2.txt, Clive D.W. Feather wrote:
>> 
>> ! 9xx - Intermediate response to be followed by another response.
>> [......]
>> ! A response of the 9xx pattern will always be immediately followed by
>> ! a further response (which may also be of the 9xx pattern) to the same
>> ! command.
>> [......]
>> !
>> ! 4.2  Example of 9xx codes:
>> !
>> ! [C] DEBUG ON
>> ! [S] 290 debugging now enabled
>> ! [C] GROUP misc.test
>> ! [S] 994 GROUP uk.text /usr/spool/news/misc/test
>> ! [S] 211 1234 3000234 3002322 misc.test

(where lines starting with "!" are proposed text to draft-10)

Perhaps we need not re-invent the "continuation" mechanism used
widely in multi-line FTP responses as in (modified to the example
above),

     291-Debugging Message
     291-GROUP uk.text /usr/spool/news/misc/test
     291 1234 3000234 3002322 misc.test

This allows the entire response to be logically treated as a
single response line, conforming to the description

Draft-10, Page 3
[=========
   Each response MUST start with a three-digit response code that
   is sufficient to distinguish all responses. 
=========]

and does not break the multi-line requirement of needing a 
trailing "." CRLF pair.

May I hear some comments on this aspect of debugging in place
of using explicit stateful DEBUG ON/ACK/OFF mechanism please?


Cheers,
CK