[JDEV] JUD docs?

[Iain Shigeoka]

At 06:21 PM 4/9/2001 -0500, Colin Madere wrote:

>I'm not looking to run the existing perl JUD, I'm looking to implement in 
>another language.
>
>Can anyone point me to a doc that would have all the messages the JUD uses 
>(specs on the messages)?  If we do this, I want to make sure everything 
>will work with existing and future clients.
>
>I'm know I'm a lazy bum for not going through all the JPG, JPO, etc, but 
>I've done so too many times in the past with the results being fruitless 
>:(  No offense, Peter (and others), I know you've been adding TONS of info 
>and kudos for it!

This does seem to be a missing piece.  I browsed around and couldn't find 
good docs on it.  From my experience the current documentation is very much 
oriented towards writing clients.  If you're writing servers or modules, 
the docs are very sparse.

We're working on spreading out the doc tasks (Peter is definitely been 
putting in heroic effort already) and I personally am hoping to push for a 
slight re-org of the docs to make sure there is at least one for every 
jabber module/protocol.  I personally would also like to push for a better 
separation of the docs.  There seems to be several doc audiences:

"official" standards (protocol)
client writer guide
server writer guide
module writer guide

So, for example, the JUD standard will specify in as precise a language as 
we can, what JUD is, and its attached interactions and protocols.  The 
client writer's guide references the standard, and tries to help writers of 
clients deal with JUD (probably also referring to other "standard" docs as 
well).  Similarly, the server and module writer's guides will also do the 
same but from different perspectives.  These would include caveats, 
tips/tricks, and implementation details/suggestions.

I believe Peter is already in the process of doing this, but could 
obviously use a lot more work.  :)  For now, the only suggestion that I 
have is: a) write your own version, submit it to jdev or jab-docs.  writing 
a guide really helps you to understand the tech.  And of course, if there 
are errors in your guide due to errors or gaps in your knowledge hopefully 
someone on the list will be able to help correct/fill-in the gaps.  b) read 
the source.  I know.  It bites but the source really is the one and only 
true standard we have right now for some of these things.  I've found the 
docs to, at times be a bit ambiguous so the reference implementation is 
really the only way to check behavior...  Of course, if it is ambigious 
from the standard, you could help us specify it, and then perhaps even 
force the reference implementation to change to match the standard.  :)

-iain

BTW - I'm interested in implementing a jabber server (including the 
modules) so would be interested to hear if you do find out anything.  I 
would really appreciate either a post to the list or email directly to me 
with any JUD info you do find/figure out...  I've been looking and 
semi-dreading implementing the JUD because its so sparsely documented. :)