AWeb Conference

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                              AWeb Conference
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[AWeb, a non-MUI HTML browser, has caused quite a stir even though it has
not officially been released yet.  A couple of months back, the author held
an independently scheduled IRC conference to discuss the program. -Jason]

Formatted Log of Conference on #AWebBrowser on the 21st January 1996
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<< Formatted by Stone-D of #Amiga EFNET                             >>
<< Original Log from Steiner of #Amiga EFNET                        >>
<< Further formatted by Katherine Nelson of Amiga Report            >>

<--             Begin Log             -->

rozijn: Yvon Rozijn, author of AWeb.

<< #AWebBrowser >>

lammy       :where can we get e demo of aweb ?
rozijn      :lammy: in feb or march the real version from aminet

DrWho       :rozijn: multiple sockets in the plans somewhere
rozijn      :lammy: I have several betatesters already

LowLigh     :Thanks Dr_P: I was wondering what GFX cards will be supported
for Aweb.  I have an Opalvision and its does not support WB
rozijn      :LowLight: no GFX cards yet. Only OS compatible

DR_pHuQt    :rozijn: will aweb work with cybergfx?
rozijn      :DR_pHuQt:: if it supports OS functions
DR_pHuQt    :rozijn: Fionn just told me that it seems to like cybergfx already...

ChrisDi     :rozijn: Whats about multi-Port connect to a WWW-Site to get
Images simultan?
rozijn      :ChrisDi: On my list.

Mutaboul    :Rozijn: If Aweb will get Asynchronous operation in the future
(Ouff..  I really ask FUTURE question!)
rozijn      :Mutaboul: in the future, yes.

SoldierX    :what's your opinion on AmiTCP...  is it too hard to setup for
people who are new to comms...  do you think it will ultimatly destroy the
internet viability of the amiga ?
rozijn      :SoldierX: a simpler installer tool would be very nice, but
with some decent explanation most beginners can install amitcp well

Tau         :rozijn, I can port AWeb to Inet225. Will you accept help?
yrozijn     :Tau: if there is enough demand for a Inet225 version
Tau         :yrozijn, I demand it ;)
yrozijn     :Tau: ok, maybe you can help me :-)

ChrisDi     :Will there be an intelligent Cachesystem for AWEb?
yrozijn     :ChrisDi: again, in the future. It's on my list

lammy       :I heard AT plans to pu Inet into there Internet paket, so it
would be importent to support INET
yrozijn     :lammy: If that is true, then it is important, yes.

Tau         :yrozijn, I recommend lauching a mail reader in "send mode" for
mailto: "Voodoo MAIL TO <address> SUBJECT <url>" would work nicely.
DR_pHuQt    :tau: i bet you do :)
Tau         :dr, heheh. ;)
DR_pHuQt    :tau: a damned fine mailer, from what little I have seen, btw
Tau         :rozijn, any time you feel like sending the HTTP module source
here, feel free ;)
yrozijn     :Tau: ok, the amitcp part is about 50lines

lammy       :when will other protocolls than http: and file be supportet ?
yrozijn     :lammy: I try to get ftp: and gopher: working in the first vsn
lammy       :and what about mailto: ?
yrozijn     :lammy: not in this version

Tau         :yr, why not use external handlers? For example, there is a
HTTP: dos handler already.
yrozijn     :Tau: I don't know of it. Where can I find it?
Tau         :I don't think it is released. I don't know if the author wants
everyone asking him about it, but I'll ask him to contact your, yr

JamesBart   :Why does AWeb have incompatabilities with Magicmenu?
yrozijn     :JamesBart: it did in version 0.2 fixed in later versions

PhalanxJr   :yrozijn: it is very simple to make a programautosense which
stack is in place, look at AmIRC, AmFTP, and Voyager for example of this
yrozijn     :PhalanxJr: any source code available?
Tau         :yr, I can easily make the TCP/IP code autosense the stack. No
problem.

yrozijn     :Tau: for *serious* questions, suggestions, only:
yrozijn@xs4all.nl
Tau         :I'm dead serious about all of this. I want a decent IW225
web browser, and I'm ready to work for it
yrozijn     :Tau: ok, I'll send you the source part

qnzqn       :yroz: will aweb need an external proggie to play sounds like
amisox, or will it use datatypes, or will there be some kind of built in
sounds player?
yrozijn     :qn: external player, mayby datatypes in future

moster      :yr: How come did you decide to write a webbrowser?
yrozijn     :moster: I wasn't happy with amosaic/mui and the ever delayed
ibrowse

Scuba       :I think loadable modules for VRLM, Java etc. would be great,
especially for 3rd party developers.
yrozijn     :scuba: I think so too. Maybe in some future version I'll add
support for 3rd party modules

Arma        :yrozijn: do you have any plans to make it a commercial
product ?
yrozijn     :arma: first release freeware, later releases shareware.

Arma        :yrozijn: roughly how much will the shareware fee be please ?
yrozijn     :Arma: I don't know yet

ThrustMe    :yrozijn: Is there any chance of internal PNG support (same
reason as for GIFs)?
yrozijn     :thrustme: what is PNG?
DR_pHuQt    :yroz: png is a royalty free compressed picture format, similar
to gif
Tau         :Portable Network Graphics
Tau         :1-48 bit, 8 bit alpha channel, better interlacing, better
compression, public domain
ThrustMe    :yrozijn: An image format with better compression than GIF + 24
bit + better interlacing
ThrustMe    :yrozijn: and no copyright/patent problems
yrozijn     :If there is a datatype for PNG, it's easy.
Tau         :there is a datatype for PNG, but you lose the interlacing/show
while loading
DR_pHuQt    :there is a png datatype
Tau         :dr, the fact that it is a datatype means that it isn't possible.
all of the data must be available before a datatype can start doing its work
DR_pHuQt    :tau: so write a better one :-)
Tau         :dr, maybe you misunderstood me. Because it is a datatype, it
can not do show while loading. Datatypes don't do it.
DR_pHuQt    :tau: ah- it can only do full decodes, and not streams?
Tau         :dr, right
ThrustMe    :yrozijn: I just wanted to see it while loading
yrozijn     :thrustme: I don't want to rewrite gif, jpeg, png datatypes

Arma        :yrozijn: the speed is very good but do u have any more plans
or ideas to make it any faster ?
yrozijn     :arma: parallel image loading, multiple windows

Riffer      :Does AWeb support DataTypes?
yrozijn     :riffer: yes
Tau         :riffer, makes you wonder why we would be talking about
datatypes otherwise, doesn't it?

DR_pHuQt    :yroz: do you plan to support progressive jpeg?
yrozijn     :dr: what's that
DR_pHuQt    :yroz: netscape, and a few others show you a progressively
inproving picture, as it downloads, it's a wierd kind of jpeg, in the v6
standardm afaik
yrozijn     :dr: not with datatypes
DR_pHuQt    :yroz: as tau pointed out, it can't work with datatypes.. you
have to decode the stream yourself..  but I think src is easily
available...  it would have to be threaded, I suppose

yrozijn     :I leave the channel now, I'll be back later
yrozijn     :Tau: we speak later

<            yrozijn PARTS the channel            >

<< End of Log as given to Stone-D >>

[ The following were some answers to private questions: ]

rozijn      :Teletran: it uses datatypes

rozijn      :DrWho: I hate mui, that's why I started AWeb

rozijn      :steiner: because I want to spend my time on further developing,
not on bookkeeping sw fees and sending out keyfiles and because it's just
not finished

rozijn      :DarkMagi: in feb or march

yrozijn     :steiner: mailto/news not in the first version. It will be in a
future version.

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