requirements in writing an email/rss/usenet client?

[George Oliver]

hi,

I'd like to know what to consider when writing an email/rss/usenet
client. Apologies for such a broad question, but I've never attempted
a project of this scope and I'm currently feeling out the
requirements.

My target is something like a gui-based mutt (I use a Windows OS btw),
with influences from programs like Alpine (http://www.washington.edu/
alpine/) and Sup (http://sup.rubyforge.org/).

I currently use Thunderbird + Muttator, which is a nice setup; but, it
has some clunky parts, and I thought it might be simpler in the end to
start fresh than try to engage with what seems to be the massive-ness
of Thunderbird (of course, I may be disabused of this notion at some
point ).


So far I've looked at the email and related modules in the standard
lib, found some related links from the list [1], and read a little
about the relevant protocols involved.

I'd appreciate hearing about any other examples, references, or
experiences of people who've written similar programs or related
libraries.


thanks, George


[1] Including references to:

* http://sourceforge.net/projects/usablemail/
* http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/0596000855/python2-CHP-11-SECT-4
* http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Email
* the pyne client
* http://chandler.osafoundation.org/

 

[Aahz]

I'd like to know what to consider when writing an email/rss/usenet
client. Apologies for such a broad question, but I've never attempted
a project of this scope and I'm currently feeling out the
requirements.

About the only advice I can give you to such a broad question is the
aphorism "Be strict about what you send; be generous about what you
receive". IOW, follow the standards very very carefully in sending
messages but be very very lenient with what you accept (just make sure
you don't crash).

Overall, you probably will get discouraged eventually, so I suggest that
you try to have as much fun as possible along the way.

 

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

In message

I currently use Thunderbird + Muttator, which is a nice setup; but, it
has some clunky parts, and I thought it might be simpler in the end to
start fresh than try to engage with what seems to be the massive-ness
of Thunderbird (of course, I may be disabused of this notion at some
point ).

I would advise you to use Thunderbird or some such MUA as a starting point.
Why reinvent the wheel?