[NNTP] Article Numbers Becoming Invalid (RFC 3977)

[Sabahattin Gucukoglu]

Is there any chance we (nntp) can have some sort of teleconference?

On 30 Dec 2009, at 13:31, Julien ÉLIE wrote:
>> Contrary to my previous messagess, GROUP doesn't set it to LWM but to the
>> lowest valid article number.
> 
> I still do not understand.
> 
> Section 6.1.1.2 of RFC 3977 clearly states for GROUP:
> 
>  The successful selection response will return the article numbers of
>  the first and last articles in the group at the moment of selection
>  (these numbers are referred to as the "reported low water mark" and
>  the "reported high water mark") and an estimate of the number of
>  articles in the group currently available.
> 
>  [...]
> 
>  When a valid group is selected by means of this command, the
>  currently selected newsgroup MUST be set to that group, and the
>  current article number MUST be set to the first article in the group
>  (this applies even if the group is already the currently selected
>  newsgroup).
> 
> The first article in the group is LWM.
> 
> So in fact, you say that RFC 3977 is to be amended so that LWM is the
> lowest valid article number?  But what for reinstatement?
> 
No, I believe he simply means that LWM has no significance whatsoever other than it being LWM.  It is the minimum possible article number; it need not be valid.  This makes perfect sense, otherwise NEXT and LAST are basically useless.

> Otherwise, the notion of "first article" is wrong in RFC 3977 and the
> paragraph should be amended.
> 
> I am more and more confused...

I think it could be clearer, but it's only just starting to make sense to me too. :-)

But, and I hate to be a nuisance about this, my question is still not quite answered: if I cannot manipulate the article pointer while an invalid article number is the next to be fetched, how can I really use NEXT?  I have to target articles in ascending order till I find the first valid one by number, then I can use NEXT, is this not right?  I don't begin at the start of the group.

Cheers,
Sabahattin