[NNTP] LISTGROUP extension

[Matthias Andree]

Hi,

I am wondering about LISTGROUP semantics WRT cancels and client
behavior.

What happens if the group is modified between the client is sent the
LISTGROUP reply and can send a subsequent ARTICLE/HEAD/BODY/STAT?

I am wondering because section 8.1.1 LISTGROUP/8.1.1.2 Description of
draft 25 snapshot 5 reads "On success, the list of article numbers is
returned as a multi-line response following the 211 response code (the
arguments on the initial response line are the same as for the GROUP
command. The list contains one number per line, is in numerical order,
and lists precisely those articles that exist in the group." (3rd
paragraph).

Note the "precisely", which IMO is an empty promise: Unless "LISTGROUP"
implies some sort of "snapshot" (which it does not), the whole
"precisely" is dead in the water when a write access hits the group -
we'll then have listed an article that has been removed or we my have
omitted a newly arrived article.

Can we reword this paragraph? A first suggestion is "and lists precisely
those articles that exist in the group at the time when the command
arrived at the server. Note that articles may be removed or added to the
group at any time, so a client MUST NOT assume that retrieval commands
for article or details thereof will succeed."  but the standards gurus
may have more background information than I do.

-- 
Matthias Andree