[NNTP] Large article numbers extension

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Charles Lindsey said:
>> But, I would argue, any work to change clients would be better done by
>> implementing a large numbers extension instead.
> At which point we will have to agree to disagree.

Okay.

> In any case, now is not the time to decide the future solution. All we can
> do in this draft is minor tweaks to ensure that the future possibilities
> are left as open as possible.

Right. I'm with you, but not everyone here is.

> I would not be averse to retreating from unsigned 32bit to signed 32 bit,

Fine.

> and I would not be averse to saying that any special meaning for article
> #0 might be removed in a future standard.

<FX: sharp intake of breath>

Consider ARTICLE <message-id>.

>> You misunderstand. Turnpike can run (on a per-server basis) in either
>> NEWNEWS or article number mode. In each case the record of the current
>> state is stored in binary files, not in a text file that can easily be
>> edited.
> Yes, I have that problem too with the Opera Mail engine, which uses a
> totally opaque format for its files. Which is fine until the format gets
> corrupted, and then you have no means of fixing it.
> 
> BTW, another way of dealing with a flag day is to delete that group
> entirely from your system, and then resubscribe to it. Than way, even
> Turnpike should cope with the change, but you still have a massive
> 'catchup' to do.

[Going off-topic]

Turnpike would actually cope quite well. So long as no expiry run is done
between the delete and resubscribe, the articles will remain in its
internal spool. When the resubscribe causes all the articles to be fetched
again, they'll be discarded as duplicates so will only be in the spool
once.

Meanwhile, users won't be presented with them a second time. That's because
Turnpike allocates a unique number internally to each article, and puts
*those* numbers in the .newsrc equivalent.

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather  | Work:  <clive at demon.net>   | Tel:    +44 20 8495 6138
Internet Expert     | Home:  <clive at davros.org>  | Fax:    +44 870 051 9937
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