ietf-nntp OVER extension

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Charles Lindsey said:
> Andrew seems to think they *are*. Please will people report what their
> servers actually DO with LIST OVERVIEW.FMT? (mine doesn't support it at
> all).

Demon server:

    list overview.fmt
    215 overview format follows
    Subject:
    From:
    Date:
    Message-ID:
    References:
    Bytes:
    Lines:
    Xref:full
    .
    xover 80123
    224 overview data follows [80123-80123]
    80123
      Re: The exciting future of the NLL
      "Bill Foote" <w.d.n.foote at rdg.ac.uk>
      Fri, 21 Dec 2001 09:33:16 -0000
      <9vuvmg$cnp$1 at vins1.reading.ac.uk>
      <20011218114100.02798.00000843 at mb-bd.aol.com> <truncated>
      2036
      25
      Xref: news.demon.co.uk uk.transport.london:80123
    .

I have folded at each tab stop and truncated the references line. On this
server that article has 21 headers (one folded) and 25 body lines, plus
the separating blank line.

>> (1) Should LIST OVERVIEW.FMT include the 8 mandatory fields ?
>      NO

I would agree. The Demon server includes them.

>> (2) If so, what are the names for the last two of the 8 ?
>      Quite so, and also the first mandatory field (article number)

Demon server uses [omitted], Bytes:, and Lines: respectively.

>> (3) Can the mandatory fields have the header name prepended ?
>      NO

Demon doesn't.

>> (4) Can any optional fields have the header name prepended ?
>      YES

Fine.

>> (5) Must any optional fields have the header name prepended ?
>      YES

Mu. There seems little point in "full" then.

>> (6) In LIST OVERVIEW.FMT, should "full" have a space before it ?
>      Pass.

Demon server doesn't.

> But if (5) is agreed, then the whole LIST OVERVIEW.FMT command becomes
> redundant, as Greg Andruk has said.

Not so. It allows you to determine what headers will be provided and,
therefore, which ones are missing from any given response. Without it, how
can you tell whether X-Wombat is included in the overview (and your probings
so far have been unlucky) or not ?

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather  | Work:  <clive at demon.net>   | Tel:  +44 20 8371 1138
Internet Expert     | Home:  <clive at davros.org>  | Fax:  +44 20 8371 4037
Demon Internet      | WWW: http://www.davros.org | Mobile: +44 7973 377646
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