Just a bit of musing

[Jon A. Lambert]

> This is kind of specialized, isn't it? You're making the basic nature of
> the client dependent on the kind of world the MUD runs. It isn't much
> harder (can be easier with the right tools, I suspect) to make a client
> that is more general, so that the layout of the screen, etc. is all
> controlled from the server. 
<snip>

Yes this is a specialized client.  It is designed to run on my server and
only
my server.   In fact it's quite impossible to connect to any other mud with
it.
The client app is actually part of the servers database and is
automatically 
updated if necessary by the mud web server.  As a standalone client it is
worthless.

The server only sends contextl tags if it is determined that it is being
accessed
by my client.  Once the client begins execution, only it knows the window
sizes,
colors and fonts available of the browser its running in.   There is know
need for 
the server to negotiate this with the client.  In fact this would be quite
a mess.

For instance the following might be sent:

[:T1 You are standing in the great hall of castle Grimm :]  -- room
description
[:T2 There is a large oak door set in the south wall :] - exit description
[:T3 A banquet table:] - object description
[:T4 Lord Grimm stands before you :] - player description
[:P0 <%H,%P>] - prompt configuration
[:P1 <100hp, 200pp> :] - prompt
[:B0 "Help %":] - button configurations
[:B1 "Inventory":] 

This is simplified but the muds output is basically wrapped with context
tags
and the client determines the placement and use.  The server and client
only need
to agree on what the general purpose of the tag is.    
All mud output is basically standard unless context is indicated, the
abscence of
context is also handled by the client.
      Session.Output("blah blah",context)

JL