Re: Idea for new form input type

Fisher Mark (FisherM@is3.indy.tce.com)
Fri, 25 Feb 1994 21:25:05 --100


I really like this MIME-based form input type. Implementation would save me
from years of future maintenance on a program I am developing now to allow
users to submit reference documents to a WWW-based repository. This is
definitely a cleaner way to handle submission of whole files/documents.

I would think as far as the new widget goes, it would:
1. Initialize a MIME multipart object;
2. Put typed-in text as plain text; and
3. Put dropped files as encoded contents;
building up each part as it goes along. Because (as I understand X :() each
part would correspond to a separate message or set of messages to the widget
(files would be "dropped-object" messages while text would be "keyboard
character" messages (oversimplification)), the widget should just be able to
sort this out as it processes along. Note that I don't say this will be
easy ab initio (before anyone has written the first widget) -- just that it
will be possible...
======================================================================
Mark Fisher Thomson Consumer Electronics
fisherm@tcemail.indy.tce.com Indianapolis, IN

"Just as you should not underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon
traveling 65 mph filled with 8mm tapes, you should not overestimate
the bandwidth of FTP by mail."