Re: Perl 5 Classes for the Web (CGI and libwww)

Tim Bunce (Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk)
Tue, 14 Mar 1995 21:04:46 +0000


> From: Martijn Koster <m.koster@nexor.co.uk>
> 
> > I'd appreciate it if someone could advise us of the state of any work 
> > going on in these areas or any other related issues.
> 
> There is a URL module alpha on
> 
> http://web.nexor.co.uk/users/mak/doc/libwww-perl5/WWW/URL.pm
> 
Thanks. I've grabbed them and I'll start studying them.

How fixed are the interfaces ? (or how open to changes is it ?)


> The rest of libwww-perl5 is currently being designed/implemented.
> It aims to be a client-side HTTP gateway to HTTP, File, etc.,
> impleented as modules under WWW/*.pm
> 
I think WWW::* is getting rather crowded with WWW::HTTP::*
WWW::HTML::*, WWW::URL::*, plus, of course all the other WWW::*'s
and it's only going to get worse.

I'd strongly recommend using top-level names for the implementation of
IETF standards-based objects:

	URL::*      Base, Proxy
	HTTP::*     Base, Header, Error, Date, Protocol, MIME
	HTML::*     ... ? (bound to be lots eventually!)

and use WWW::*
for any non-standards based objects and assorted support code.

Using WWW:: for everything made more sense in the early days but over
the next few months and years the WWW:: 'tree' is bound to fill up with
assorted 'goodies' contributed by many budding perl programmers.

This reorganisation creates much more room in the namespace and
emphasises the important distinction between standards-based objects
and other code.

** I know that this is a big change but I think it's important
   and this maybe the very last chance we have to do it!

What do you think?
What do others think?


> I see the HTML bits as separate.
> 
Agreed. I have some very 'fancy' ideas for HTML generation.
But I'm saving those for later... ;-)


> > I currently see libwww-perl as being primarily client-side code.
> > Is that a fair perspective?
> 
> I would say so, but the distinction between clients and servers
> seems to be fading these days :-) 
> 
I guess so.


> -- Martijn
> 
Regards,
Tim.