Lincks
lincks terminology, features, and issues
- object database
- nifty multi-user read/write object databse (using Sun RPC)
- item/object/component/node
- the "ur-element" in the databse: has an unstructured IMAGE,
a set of name-value pairs called ATTRIBUTES, and a set of LINKS
to other nodes. there's an isomorphism to an SGML element
in here somewhere.
- composite object
- the thing you "visit" -- built from a root node and a "Generic
presentation descriptor" or GPD, kinda like a DTD/stylesheet combo.
- mixed objects: in the model, but not in the xlincks interface
only supports text.
- explicitly structured documents: yes!!!
- view control: yes!!!
- basic hyperdocument with links: yes (user interface a little
clumsy)
- back-link capability: hmmm... in the model, it's possible...
- library system: this could be a part (need to scale it up to
something like harvest, though)
- hyperdocument mail: need to add RFC822/SMTP, MIME, NTTP support.
- Personal Signature Encryption: need a "canonical" byte-sequence
representation of a reference structure for digital signatures.
- Access Control: in the works, I understand
- Readable link addresses: The HTTP gateway shows this can be
done.
Misc Notes
- should support #part feature: display object X with GPD Y,
and select object Z.
- 2.1.4: "How do I ... find out what can be expanded." The user
interface doesn't give any indication. This is bad.
- needs lots of presentation sugar: Text wrapping, inline objects,
graphics, tables
- web interface: a links database should be able to export the
HTTP interface easily through a gateway, but another nifty
feature would be to include objects from "the world" in a
lincks editing session and in the lincks database.
- should incoroporate some dumb filesystem interface (ala file: urls)
- should make things easier for non-programmer/administrator types.
Just type "xlincks" and get added to the system, see you home
directory, etc.
- need fulltext searching features (use trigrams?)
- need to be able to gateway to fulltext search databases etc.
- what is the "interface" (in the M3 sense) to the database?
- use for project management: problem/issue tracking, schedules,
design documents, meeting notes, etc.
- trying to find isomorphisms between lincks and SGML: e.g. should
be able to import/expor the lincks database in sgml. What would
the DTD for that look like? (done)
- trying to find isomorphisms between lincks and ILU
Connolly
$Id: lincks.html,v 1.1 1995/02/14 22:42:16 connolly Exp $