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List:       kde-pim
Subject:    Re: - Project Status report -
From:       Tim Rohrer <tim () metbymail ! com>
Date:       1999-07-08 0:18:53
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On Tue, 06 Jul 1999, Rik Hemsley wrote:
> Hi folks.
Rik,

Great e-mail.  Having recently joined the list, this really helped me get
caught up on what is going on.  

I came over to this list because I want to see a KDE API for LDAP.  Several
months ago I announced that I was going to work on such an API, but, nothing
materialized.  I've recommitted to working on it and have been designing a
KLDAP class.  I'm new to C++ and haven't coded seriously in several years.
My work might be pretty ugly, but I'm sure people will be willing to help me
out so that I can contribute to the project.  

> 
> Well, I don't know if this will become a common feature, but I for one would
> find it useful if we could produce a status report every so often. 'when
> appropriate' is probably the best timing, rather than fixed to every week/month
> or whatever.

Concur 

> 
> Ok, here goes:
> ...
> ------- Addressbook backend --------
> 
> Having had a peek at Netscape Messenger, it looked like vCard might be the Way
> To Go. vCard is a powerful format that is well specified in an RFC.
> What (Rik) hadn't banked on was that Netscape would drop vCard for the next
> version of Communicator. Oops.
> 
I know little to nothing about vCard.  I've looked at ldif as it relates to
LDAP.  I don't think I understand all of your concerns about the data types
being storeable. As I understand ldif, the data can include whatever you
want it to as long as you define the objects.  The conversion format I've
used is ldif2ldap (?) which, if memory serves me, uses the definitions file
in the /etc/ldap dir to map the data to the new format.  I think the trick
would then be to define for the applications how they would read the
definition from the ldif file.  

My concern about using vCard is what you said re: Netscape dropping it in
the next version of Communicator.  Can you add jpegs and other user-defined
data types with vCard?  That is possible with ldif although I'm  not clear
about how to do it.

My intention with my network at home is to run an LDAP server so my wife and
I can share a single address book for all uses.  And, at least for now, my
wife uses Netscape Communicator and I use kmail.  Hence, another reason for
me to use LDAP.

I don't want to spout off too much in this e-mail about what I'm planning
for the KLDAP API but I'm interested in knowing if I should continue the
project or drop it in favor of the work you are discussing?  And, what
discussions have traspired re: the data model?  Unless I'm making my
thoughts about the API too hard, it seems the API must have a standard data
format, or a way of configuring it for an app, to present to applications.
I don't think the LDAP API requires this, but it seems it would be required
so the application programmers know their target.

> We need more information on ldif to find out how type information may be
> stored. If it's impossible to store, then we cannot use it as the standard
> format.
> 
I can't claim to actually know about ldif, but if you can provide some
specific examples regarding the "standard format" that would need to be
stored in the ldif files, I'll look for ways to accomplish what you want.

> 
> Some sane advice from someone who actually knows about ldif would be useful !
> 

A final question about what we are trying to do here.  Will the backend
function as a server for all the users on the network? Or, will each user
set up their own addressbook? Or, both?

Again, well done with the "status report".  Very useful.

Tim

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