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+++ b/README.TXT	Mon Jul 23 08:55:04 2001 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+                                    Roundup
+                                    =======
+
+
+1. License
+==========
+This software is released under the GNU GPL. The copyright is held by Bizar
+Software Pty Ltd (http://www.bizarsoftware.com.au).
+
+The stylesheet included with this package has been copied from the Zope
+management interface and presumably belongs to Digital Creations.
+
+
+2. Installation
+===============
+For installation notes, please see the file INSTALL.TXT
+
+
+3. Usage
+========
+The system is designed to accessed through the command-line, e-mail or web
+interface.
+
+3.1 Command-line
+----------------
+The command-line tool is called "roundup-admin" and is used for most low-level
+database manipulations such as:
+ . creating a database instance
+ . redefining the list of products ("create" and "retire" commands)
+ . adding users manually, or setting their passwords ("create" and "set")
+ . other stuff - run it with no arguments to get a better description of
+   what it does.
+
+
+3.2 E-mail
+----------
+See the docstring at the start of the roundup/mailgw.py source file.
+
+
+3.3 Web
+-------
+Hopefully, this interface is pretty self-explanatory...
+
+Index views may be modified by the following arguments:
+    :sort    - sort by prop name, optionally preceeded with '-'
+	     to give descending or nothing for ascending sorting.
+    :group   - group by prop name, optionally preceeded with '-' or
+	     to sort in descending or nothing for ascending order.
+    :filter  - selects which props should be displayed in the filter
+	     section. Default is all.
+    :columns - selects the columns that should be displayed.
+	     Default is all.
+    propname - selects the values the node properties given by propname
+             must have (very basic search/filter).
+
+
+
+3. Design
+=========
+This software was written according to the specification found at
+ http://software-carpentry.codesourcery.com/entries/second-round/track/Roundup/
+
+... with some modifications. I've marked these in the source with 'XXX'
+comments when I remember to.
+
+In short:
+ Class.find() - may match multiple properties, uses keyword args.
+
+ Class.filter() - isn't in the spec and it's very useful to have at the Class
+    level.
+ 
+ CGI interface index view specifier layout part - lose the '+' from the
+    sorting arguments (it's a reserved URL character ;). Just made no
+    prefix mean ascending and '-' prefix descending.
+
+ ItemClass - renamed to IssueClass to better match it only having one
+    hypderdb class "issue". Allowing > 1 hyperdb class breaks the
+    "superseder" multilink (since it can only link to one thing, and we'd
+    want bugs to link to support and vice-versa).
+
+ templates - the call="link()" is handled by special-case mechanisms in my
+    top-level CGI handler. In a nutshell, the handler looks for a method on
+    itself called 'index%s' or 'item%s' where %s is a class. Most items
+    pass on to the templating mechanism, but the file class _always_ does
+    downloading. It'll probably stay this way too...
+
+ template - call="link(property)" may be used to link "the current node"
+    (from an index) - the link text is the property specified.
+
+ template - added functions that I found very useful: List, History and
+    Submit.
+
+ template - items must specify the message lists, history, etc. Having them
+    by default was sometimes not wanted.
+
+ template - index view determines its default columns from the template's
+    <property> tags.
+
+ template - menu() and field() look awfully similar now .... ;)
+
+ roundup.py - the command-line tool has a lot more commands at its disposal
+
+
+
+4. TODO
+=======
+Most of the TODO items are captured in comments in the code. In summary:
+
+in general:
+  . better error handling (nicer messages for users)
+  . possibly revert the entire damn thing to 1.5.2 ... :(
+roundup.py:
+  . getopt() for command line
+  . default init db in some way?
+hyperdb:
+  . transaction support
+roundupdb:
+  . split the file storage into multiple files
+roundup-mailgw:
+  . errors as attachments
+  . snip signatures?
+server:
+  . check the source file timestamps before reloading
+date:
+  . blue Date.__sub__ needs food, badly
+config
+  . default to blank config in distribution and warn appropriately
+roundup_cgi
+  . searching
+  . keep form fields in form on bad submission - only clear it if all ok
+  . messages should have the roundup CGI URL in them
+
+
+5. Known Bugs
+=============
+
+date:
+  . date subtraction doesn't work correctly "if the dates cross leap years,
+    phases of the moon, ..."
+
+filter:
+  . incorrectly embeds hidden fields for filters being displayed - and
+    doesn't use the existing values for filters being displayed either.
+
+
+6. Author
+=========
+richard@bizarsoftware.com.au
+
+
+7. Thanks
+=========
+Well, Ping, of course ;)
+
+Anthony Baxter, for some good first-release feedback. And then continuing
+support through development on sourceforge.
+