[ANN] Messages 1.0.5

Messages is finally above the 1.0 release number and deservedly so. Using the single %messages.cgi script, you can now do the following: 1. Display news headlines with a built-in commenting system. 2. Run an open discussion forum. 3. Run an open classifieds section. 4. Create, edit, or delete any set of messages (news, forum, classified, other) using an encrypted login system which uses a session ID to timeout administration functions after a specified amount of time. How does it do this? Messages primarily accepts three variables to determine what to do next. You pass the variables actionType, messageType, and messageID via CGI. Following are examples of the types of values these variables may hold: -actionType create-form display a message creation form create create a new message comment create a comment, using the mother message's messageID as the comment's messageType display display messages search search messages for a keyword display-comments display the comments that have been made on a message edit-form return the contents of a message in a form for editing the message edit edit a message delete delete a message display-login display the form for logging in to use administration functions login login to use administration functions -messageType news forum classified other (whatever naming convention you choose) 20010420123456 (the messageID of a parent message, used for comment messages) -messageID 20010420123456 (a string of numbers based on the date and time of creation, also used for naming the XML file which contains the message) Messages also passes the sessionID variable during administration functions. The sessionID is also a string of numbers based on the date and time of sessionID creation or update. Following are the improvements for this version: 1. Added subroutines which removes displaying redundant search forms and message creation buttons after a search. 2. Added a classified advertising system, which is essentially a forum system without the commenting system. 3. Removed some more redundant code. Plans for future versions: 1. Slim down the code as much as possible. 2. Replace encryption system with a new one. 3. Add commenting support to administration functions. 4. Change all forms from GET to POST (currently using GET for troubleshooting purposes.) As always, your comments are greatly appreciated (and even heeded.) The script follows. -Ryan #!rebol -cs REBOL [ Title: "Messages" Date: 20-Apr-2001 Version: 1.0.5 File: %messages.cgi Home: http://www.rebolrepublic.org Author: "Ryan C. Christiansen" Email: [norsepower--qwest--net] Rights: "Copyright (C) Ryan C. Christiansen 1999-2001" Purpose: { Create, display, edit, and delete messages using a standard XML storage format and CSS2-reference <DIV> tags for display. The script is dependent on the use of .css stylesheets for separate messageTypes. } Comment: { This file %messages.cgi is a single engine for creating, displaying, editing, and deleting messages. For displaying, editing, and deleting messages, %messages.cgi must receive the following variables as CGI input: actionType, messageType, and messageID. For creating messages, %messages.cgi must receive a REBOL e-mail object! as input or the following variables as CGI input: actionType, messageType, subject, author, and content. During message creation, %messages.cgi creates the following variables: date and messageID. } History: [ 0.0.9 [4-Jan-2001 "Created %std_msg_func_lib.r based on previous work." "Ryan"] 0.1.1 [5-Jan-2001 "Added 'display-markup object! functions and changed file name to %standard-message-function-library.r" "Ryan"] 0.1.2 [8-Jan-2001 "Fixed 'read-message-directory to output file names including path to directory defined by messageType." "Ryan"] 0.2.1 [9-Jan-2001 "Corrected target 'word in 'write-xml-message. Added 'create-message object! functions. Corrected 'display-markup to output string! datatype instead of block! datatype. Negated use of 'message-request-data target variable in 'read-directory-messages. Added 'get-messages-for-display object! functions." "Ryan"] 0.2.3 [10-Jan-2001 "Added 'display-messages function, the top-level function for displaying messages. Pared down usage in 'Example portion of header to include only top-most functions. Removed /html-output function from 'get-messages-for-display object! and removed /html function from 'display-markup object!" "Ryan"] 0.2.4 [11-Jan-2001 "Changed the order of values (switched 'author' and 'subject') for the XML grammar in all functions. Changed the 'either switch in 'display-messages from 'none to the string! datatype 'none'." Ryan ] 0.2.5 [8-Feb-2001 "Removed incorrect class/id combinations from CSS font designations. Changed 'display-markup and 'display-messages to markup content using only CSS class designations instead of class/id combinations." "Ryan"] 0.2.7 [18-Feb-2001 "Added routine to 'display-messages function which will display all messages in a directory minus the content value. The index option is called by sending 'index' as the 'messageID value to 'display-messages." "Ryan"] 0.3.7 [28-Mar-2001 "Changed name of script to %messages.cgi. Changed e-mail address in header. Updated Comment and Example field in header. Changed 'display-markup to markup messages using <div> tags instead of <font> tags. Changed 'display-markup from a function to an object which includes 'for-reading object including 'with-reference (display messageID and messageType) and 'without-reference functions, and also 'for-editing object with 'with-reference function to display a message or messages for editing, including <FORM> and <INPUT> tags. Added 'edit-message function for editing messages. Added 'edited-from-cgi function to 'decode-to-object object! Added 'delete-message function. Added 'message-action-cgi uber-function." "Ryan"] 0.5.0 [29-Mar-2001 "Added return display for delete, create, and edit switches in 'message-action-cgi. Changed 'append to 'insert in 'read-directory-messages function, which will make newest messages display first. Changed radio button value for edit/delete choice from 'choice' to 'actionType'. Fixed the way 'for-editing object functions display form values and form targets. Added form for creating new messages to 'for-editing object functions. Added 'create-form' action type to switch in 'message-action-cgi function. Added 'display-create-form function to display message creation form. Added Bohdan Lechnowsky's %encrypt.r functions. Created 'encrypt-logins function for creating %.bin files containing usernames and passwords. Added 'display-login-form function to display login form. Added 'sessionID check to all administration functions including delete, edit, display-admin, create, and create-form. Added 'sessionID variables to form output in all admin forms. Added sort/reverse statement in 'read-dir ectory-messages function in an attempt to make the newest messages display first. Added if error? try statement to program section script which will default to displaying messages in the absence of cgi input data." "Ryan"] 0.5.1 [30-Mar-2001 "Changed sort/reverse statement in 'read-directory-messages function so that it sorts the 'message-directory block instead of the 'message-block block." "Ryan"] 0.5.6 [4-Apr-2001 "Removed HTML headers from 'display-create-form and 'display-login-form. Removed 'without-reference function in 'display-messages/for-reading object!, making 'display-messages/for-reading a function replacing the 'with-reference function. Made 'display-messages/for-editing a function replacing the 'with-reference function within the 'display-messages/for-editing object! All messages will display references. Changed 'display-admin' switch to 'edit-form' in 'message-action-cgi function. Added parse statement to display 'messageID and 'messageType in 'display-messages/for-editing function." "Ryan"] 0.6.0 [5-Apr-2001 "Added 'display-comments' switch to 'message-action-cgi, including 'reverse-input function which will make the messageID the messageType for comment viewing and posting. Added post/view comments link to 'display-messages/for-editing function. Added error correction to stylesheet loading, making it load %comments.css on error (expecting an error when the messageType is messageID after the 'reverse-input operation. Added 'display-comment-form function." "Ryan"] 0.6.6 [6-Apr-2001 "Added 'post-comment-input object to 'comment' switch, including 'parent-messageID value in 'comment' switch and 'display-comment-form function, allowing a comment's parent to be displayed after commenting, eliminating an error. Made 'display-messages/for-reading function an object! containing functions 'for-commenting and 'no-commenting. Updated 'message-action-cgi switch statements for the change. Added 'parent-message-input object and 'post-comment-reverse-input object to 'comment' switch for displaying original message and proper comment input form after comment creation. Added <DIV> tag to post/view comments link. Added post/view comments links to 'display-messages/for-editing function. Added 'display-comments-edit' switch to 'message-action-cgi function." "Ryan"] 0.7.4 [11-Apr-2001 "Added 'message-block return statement to 'read-directory-messages function and moved 'sort/reverse statement to sort 'message-block instead of 'message-directory. Added error-checking to 'display' switch in 'message-action-cgi. Added 'make decimal! statement to 'login' switch in 'message-action-cgi. Created 'check-sessionID function to replace redundant code in 'message-action-cgi. Added 'sessionID-timeout value in configuration section. Changed 'Edit' and 'Delete' and 'Create New!' options in 'display-messages/for-editing function to be more descriptive. Added 'search-messages function. Added 'search' switch to 'message-action-cgi. Added search form to all 'display-messages object! output." "Ryan"] 0.7.5 [12-Apr-2001 "Moved 'message-block return statement in 'search-messages function. Removed 'search' switch debugging in 'message-action-cgi." "Ryan"] 0.8.1 [18-Apr-2001 "Changed 'insert to 'append in 'read-directory-messages function. Added 'display-search-form function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages object! Added 'display-create-button function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages/for-editing function. Added 'display-edit-message-button function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages/for-editing function. Added 'display-delete-message-button function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages/for-editing function. Added 'display-comments-link function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages object!" "Ryan"] 0.8.2 [19-Apr-2001 "Added 'display-comments-edit-link function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages/for-editing function." "Ryan"] 0.9.4 [20-Apr-2001 "Added 'return-div-text function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages object! Added 'return-messageID function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages object! Added 'return-messageType function to replace redundant code in 'display-messages object! Added 'display-messages/forum-style function for using %messages.cgi to run a forum. Added 'display-create-button-forum function for creating new messages in 'display-messages/forum-style function. Added 'create-form-forum' switch to 'message-action-cgi function. Added 'display-create-form-forum function for displaying a message creation form in a forum environment. Added 'create-forum' switch to 'message-action-cgi function for creating new messages in a forum environment. Added 'display-comments-forum-link function for using the commenting system within a forum environment. Added 'display-comments-forum' switch to 'message-action-cgi function for using the commenting system within a forum environment. Added 'display-com ments-form-forum function for displaying a commenting system form within a forum environment. Added 'comment-forum' switch to 'message-action-cgi for creating comments within a forum environment. Added 'display-search-form-forum function to allow searches within a forum environment. Added 'search-forum' switch to 'message-action-cgi function to return forum-style message display after a search." "Ryan"] 1.0.5 [23-Apr-2001 "Made all 'display-messages object! functions into object! datatypes including 'with-search-form and 'without-search-form sub-functions. Added /with-search-form and /without-search-form paths to switch statements in 'message-action-cgi function. Removed 'display-create-button-forum function from 'display-messages/forum-style/without-search-form function and renamed 'display-messages/forum-style/without-search-form function to 'display-messages/forum-style/without-search-and-create. Renamed 'display-messages/forum-style/with-search-form function to 'display-messages/forum-style/with-search-and-create. Changed paths in 'message-action-cgi to correspond with new function naming conventions. Added 'display-create-button-forum function to 'search-forum' switch in 'message-action-cgi. Added 'classified-style object! within 'display-messages object! which includes 'with-search-and-create and 'without-search-and-create functions. Added 'classified' switch to 'message-action-cgi function. Ad ded 'display-create-form-classified function. Added 'display-create-button-classified and changed all references to 'display-create-button-forum in 'display-messages/classified-style object! to 'display-create-button-classified. Added 'create-classified' switch to 'message-action-cgi. Added 'display-search-form-classified function and changed all references to 'display-search-form-forum in 'display-messages/classified-style object! to 'display-search-form-classified. Removed redundant 'time-in-digits function code from decode-to-object! object! Added 'create-form-classified' switch to 'message-action-cgi." "Ryan"] ] Example: { Decode CGI input and create, display, edit, or delete message(s). This is the script's uber-function for CGI. message-action-cgi To decode CGI input from the web server: cgi-input: retrieve-user-data Using decoded CGI data, write XML standard message file to directory determined by messageType. create-message/from-cgi cgi-input Using an e-mail message or newsgroup message in the form of a REBOL e-mail object!, write XML standard message file to 'email' directory. create-message/from-email email-message Convert decoded CGI data into the standard message object!, overwriting a previously created message. edit-message cgi-input Delete a previously created message. delete-message cgi-input Using decoded CGI data containing messageID and messageType variables, either display a single message (messageID specified), a directory of messages (messageID = "none"), or an index of messages (messageID = "index") to the browser, including displaying the messageID and messageType to the reader. display-messages/for-reading/with-reference cgi-input Using decoded CGI data containing messageID and messageType variables, either display a single message (messageID specified), a directory of messages (messageID = "none"), or an index of messages (messageID = "index") to the browser, not displaying the messageID nor the messageType to the reader. display-messages/for-reading/without-reference cgi-input Using decoded CGI data containing messageID and messageType variables, either display a single message (messageID specified), a directory of messages (messageID = "none"), or an index of messages (messageID = "index") to the browser, including displaying the messageID and messageType to the reader, in an HTML form for editing. display-messages/for-editing/with-refer