Date: 5 Apr 2000 19:36 PDT
From:
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Doug Engelbart
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DOUG@bootstrap.org
Bootstrap Institute
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To:
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Eric Armstrong
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eric.armstrong@eng.sun.com
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Subject:
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OHS development candidate vector
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For Discussion
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INTRODUCTION
I keep returning to this "vector" again and again, and decided that it is
important to me as possibly the best course we could take. So let me
describe it; and then we can talk about it.
It would defer until later some basic, and ultimately critical, parts of the
OHS Tool System Architecture -- e.g., integrated editing and multi-class
UIS. But it would have high immediate utility, and provide unique usage
experience to many "outside users," and especially to categories of web
users we'll want to have become seriously involved in subsequent
co-evolution.
BASIC DESCRIPTION
Heavy involvement of IBM's WBI (Web-Based Intermediary)
- Assume basic operational mode ...
- URLs targeted toward designated files would be intercepted by WBI.
Likely have extended syntax to these "URLs" -- see below.
- WBI retrieves the designated file from the designated server
- WBI "transcodes" the designated file into the transcoded-file form
which the user's browswer can access and display.
Simple step -- if designated file is HTML, then the transcoding
employs reproducible algorithm to affix "purple numbers" as
target-tags-on, and links-to each paragraph ("label/link tags").
Every time this file goes through this retrieval and transcodin
process, it will have the same label/link tags affixed to the sme
paragraphs, so that e.g. "#5B" on a user-transmitted URL would
always position her browser window to the same "5B-labelled"
paragraph.
Added nicety -- INDIRECT LINKING: Special syntax on the initial UL
indicates, "go to position X in File Y, pick up the link there, thn
do the above transcoding on that URL's designated file."
Serious "OTHER-FILE LINKING" -- where the designated file is not oe
which the browser can position or display. E.g., "native file fors"
of MS Word, Lotus Notes, ..., or especially software source-code,
requirements, specifications, status reports, user guides, etc.
The transcoding produces specialy structured and formatted HTML
(likely later extended into XML), with label/link additions.
Then, when files are transcoded into browser-readable form, the
transcoder would provide optional, additional "deliverable"
alterations to the content (and formatting/structuring) to create any
special "views."
Considerable "co-evolution" here, exploring optional ways to do
the structuring, formatting and viewing.
- WBI sends the transcoded file to the user's browser to satisfy the
location/view specs held in the (extended-syntax) URL.
2.
Staged goals:
- First, to get addressable label/link tags installed in our own
DKR-web email and docs.
- Then, general web documents -- so we can begin usefully to cite
specific passages in anybody's web pages.
- Then begin providing useful view options in our DKR email and
docs
-- and on "out" to anybody's web pages..
- Then pick a target software-development environment: source-code
language? Likely trial-user communities?
- In collaboration with trial-user community, establish and implement
initial set of transcoding specs for project source code,
requirements, specs, project status reports, relevant email dialog,
user docs, ... toward a trial prototype software-development
environment.
NOTE:
Of special potential, for a targeted user communities, would be
a/the Open-Source OHS-Developer Community.
- During all of this, establish a healthy set of user representatives
as active stakeholders in the co-evolution of human- and tool-system
development.
3. Somewhere in the above sequence, develop at least the framework for an
OHS architecture which would enable the integrated editing and other
whole-system operation.
As funding and participatory interest emerge, the above sequence would
be modified appropriately.
AND ... ***********
This is all open for discussion; plus, there are interesting partnering
possibilities emerging with the Software Productiviey Consortium. And, ...
what companies/agencies/societies might be interested collaborators?
OpenGroup? ACM?
Sincerely,
Doug
Douglas C. Engelbart, Ph.D.
doug@bootstrap.org
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