From:	CSBVAX::CSBVAX::MRGATE::"SMTP::CRVAX.SRI.COM::RELAY-INFO-VAX" 18-NOV-1988 12:03
To:	MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART"
Subj:	Re: Problems with V5.4 ANU NEWS


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Date: 16 Nov 88 17:02:07 GMT
From: deimos!ksuvax1!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!sloane@rutgers.edu  (Bob Sloane)
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Subject: Re: Problems with V5.4 ANU NEWS
Message-Id: <1440@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
References: <1151@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>, <231@arnold.UUCP>, <974@csc.anu.oz>
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In article <974@csc.anu.oz>, gih900@csc.anu.oz (Geoff Huston) writes:
> ...
> While I'm on this, V5.6 was finished on the 11th November. A copy has been
> placed for collection by PSI_COPY on the PSI node 505262440032 (three backup
> save sets, in both normal and compressed format: NEWS_V56*.*) and a copy of
> V5.6 has been sent to Glenn Everhart for inclusion in the US DECUS VAX SIG Fall
> 88 tapes. If any helpful person wishes to place this software on an available
> host for FTP access please annouce this to the net. 
> 
> -- 
> Geoff Huston,    Australian National University, Canberra, AUSTRALIA
> gih900@csc.anu.oz       psi%50526244003211::gih900

We would be happy to make NEWS V5.6 available via FTP.  How do we get a copy?

While we are on the subject, I have a list of 17 problems with NEWS (appended
below).  Could you tell us which if any of these are fixed?
+-------------------+-------------------------------------+------------------+
|  Bob Sloane        \Internet: SLOANE@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU/Anything I said is |
|  Computer Center    \ BITNET: SLOANE@UKANVAX.BITNET   / my opinion, not my |
|  University of Kansas\  AT&T: (913) 864-0444         /  employer's.        |
+-----------------------+-----------------------------+----------------------+

Known Problems in NEWS Version 5.4 (16-Nov-1988):
------------------------------------------------
         
 0. See file BUGS.TXT distributed with NEWS.

 1. When ADD'ing a batch file directly from VMS MAIL (EXTRACT/ALL/HEAD),
    NEWS creates a spurious "null item" between *each* item in the mail file.
    These "null items" are posted to the default newsgroup (junk).  The items
    come from "** Sender Unknown **" with path "our_node!Path-Lost".  All valid
    items in the mail file are ADD'ed _almost_ correctly: their paths are all
    "our_node!Path-Lost" (where "our_node" is our local NEWS node).  The items
    in the mail file are 'N'-prepended.  Extracted sample "null item" follows:

       NEWS-Posting: Newsgroup <junk>, Item <#315>, Subject <<None>>
       From: ** Sender Unknown **
       Date: 30 Jun 88 07:10:54 GMT
       Lines: 0

       Newsgroups: junk
       Subject: <None>
       Message-ID: <364@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au>
       Path: ucsvc!Path-Lost

 2. When ADD'ing a NEWS batch file in non-'N'-prepended "#! rnews" format,
    NEWS adds a spurious "null item" before adding the first item (only).
    The first line of the batch file is "#! rnews nnnn".  If the first line
    is blank, the spurious item is not added.  All valid items are added
    correctly.

 3. When deleting a newsgroup, NEWS leaves the directory for that deleted
    newsgroup in the news_root: directory tree.  With a significant number
    of newsgroup deletions, a corresponding number of directories are left
    "dangling".  Can NEWS delete the "dead wood" of directory trees
    (including "upper branches" where applicable) when deleting newsgroups?

 4. When using the "scroll" feature of READ, the following problems occur:
    (a) For a multi-screen message, pressing <RETURN> (and occassionally
        <NextScreen>) at the first page (i.e. Top of Display) often takes
        the display immediately to the last page (i.e. End of Display).
    (b) Using up- or down-arrow, or typing "up" or "down" often causes the
        screen to be fully ("ripple") updated rather than up- or down-scrolled
        as appropriate. (VT220)
    (c) Typing "u" (instead of "up") causes an "ambiguous verb" CLI error
        (correctly), but returns to the item directory at the current item,
        instead of remaining in the item text.
    (d) Typing "dow" (or "do") does not give an error, nor does it move through
        the item text.  It returns to the item directory at the _next_ item
        (if it exists).
    (e) Removal of the blank separator lines at top and bottom of the display
        has made the screen appear very cluttered and harder to read.
    (f) The full screen update for the last page of an item makes finding one's
        place in the previously read text difficult.  Up-scrolling for this
        last page would be far preferable.  (Similarly on reversing to Top?)

 5. The following are suggestions for the READ with scroll feature:
    (a) The old style of reading should be retained as well as providing the
        new (very useful) scrolling feature.  Scrolling should be enabled with
        a (yes, yet another one) qualifier such as /[NO]SCROLL (on by default
        perhaps?).
    (b) If scrolling is enabled, a simple mechanism for going to the top or
        bottom of the item should be provided.  Perhaps the commands TOP and
        BOTTOM could be implemented in a similar context-dependent fashion to
        UP and DOWN, operating on directories as well as item text.
    (c) Bring back the blank separator lines (see item 4(e) above).

 6. In explicit NOSCREEN mode, SELECT a newsgroup, do a DIRECTORY and then
    type <RETURN> to READ the article pointed to. The following problems occur:
    (a) The _next_ item is displayed rather than the item pointed to.
    (b) Paging does not work. (Reported for NEWS v5.3).
    (c) The header lines are missing or incorrectly displayed.

 7. Thanks for the broadcast trapping.  However, some suggestions:
    (a) The messages should be put into a buffer (virtual display) which can be
        viewed (with scrolling capacity) with a command such as SHOW MESSAGES
        (SHOW BROADCASTS ?).  Obviously, if there are no broadcasts, simply
        issue such a message.
    (b) It is difficult to know just how to immediately display these
        broadcasts. The current method of overwriting the prompt and message
        (status) line has its shortcomings.  (Lose prompt and message;
         cursor left some distance into broadcast message).  Hmmm?  I have
        no simple answer, sorry.

 8. Will GMT ever equal GMT or should it be "EST" or "(Local Time)" or ??

 9. Items can be left displayed as unread in the item and newsgroup directories
    when in fact all items in the group have been read.  READ/NEW (if the
    "unread" item is in a registered newsgroup) does not find the item.

10. When loading the subject of a REPLY, the full subject line in the item
    should be used.

11. Extract from newsgroup comp.os.vms:

      From: sys_ms@bmc1.bmc.uu.se
      Date: 24 Aug 88 20:48:00 GMT
      Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
      Subject: Bug in VMS News 5.4
      Message-ID: <3789@bmc1.bmc.uu.se>
      Path: ucsvc!murdu!munnari!uunet!mcvax!enea!kth!draken!bmc1!sys_ms
      Organization: Biomedical Center, University of Uppsala, Sweden

         It is still there. There is a bug in VMS News 5.4.
         If you post an item into an empty newsgroup the
         item is not accessible for reading. The following
         postings will be readable.

         Is there a fix available?

       -------------------------------------------------------------------
	Mats Sundvall				+46/18174583
	Biomedical Center			mats@bmc1.BMC.UU.SE
	University of Uppsala, Sweden		psi%24020010020620::MATS
       -------------------------------------------------------------------

    I also have had this problem on previous versions of NEWS, although I
    haven't tried to reproduce it on v5.4.  I found that when posting an item
    to a *newly-created* newsgroup (i.e. first item), NEWS appeared to post it
    correctly, but in fact created the item file with a version number that
    seemed to be random (i.e. NOT ;1).  Consequently, trying to read the item
    produced a message to the effect that the item text could not be displayed.
    This didn't *always* happen though. (??!)

12. All NEWS system files should be more truly free-format, and conform to the
    following requirements:
     - no specific column positions necessary;
     - any white noise (*tabs* and/or spaces) can be used as field separators.
    This applies to the files MAILPATHS., NEWS_ADDRESS.CNF, NEWS.SYS,
    NEWS.DISTRIBUTION etc..  (NEWS_ADDRESS.CNF cannot contain _only_ tabs.)

13. When a syntax error occurs while reading a message, the user is left in
    the directory display, rather than in the message text.

14. After an EXTRACT command while reading a message, the user is left in
    the directory display, rather than in the message text.

15. READ in /NOSCREEN mode doesn't display the From: or Subject: lines in
    the first screen of data, but does in subsequent screens.

16. DIR/ALL or DIR/NEW or DIR/REG do not work in /NOSCREEN mode.

17. After using READ/EDIT (and other commands) the definitions of many of the
    keys is lost.  For example, the up-arrow key on a vt100 is no longer the
    UP command. It recalls commands.

