Re: Communciator 4.02 Imap EXPUNGE problem

[Mike Macgirvin <[e-mail]>]

> > I guess the problem I have with this is that it states the obvious!
> 
> Yes, and I think it doesn't; I think it's not obvious until we have a 
> discussion like this.  Remember that you've been doing this for a long time 
> and you have more than one implementation behind you.  Someone getting into 
> this for the first time will reasonably assume that she can do these sorts 
> of things, unless we say otherwise and point out why not.
> 
> > It certainly does not belong in the specification, which is large and 
> 
> Oh, absolutely.  I'm suggesting an "Implementer's Guide".  Perhaps I'll try 
> putting together a draft of one, and let people beat on it and add their 
> favourite stumbles.  I think such a document will be useful -- because if 
> this stuff were really all as obvious as you say, not so many people would 
> be stumbling over it.

There are a great number of issues which have come up which have nothing to
do with legal protocol, but all affect inter-operability. A lot of these
issues seem perfectly obvious to somebody who's been on this list for
several years and has munged through c-client and the details of dealing
with multiple platforms and message stores until their head hurts. I can
understand the frustration of those building products armed only with the
RFC, and can think of at probably thirty topics which should be *required*
reading for anybody attempting an IMAP product.