DNS-COM-AWNS-VISUAL 1.0

CONTENTS
    INTRODUCTION
    MANIFEST
    INSTALL
    SUPPORT OBJECTS
    UPDATING THE WHO LIST

INTRODUCTION

This is an MCP/2.1 package written for the JHCore MCP/2.1 implementation
for MOO.

You can find out more about MCP/2.1 here:

    http://www.awns.com/mcp/

The package dns-com-awns-visual provides clients with up-to-date
information about places, topology and people online.  Clients can
display this information in the form of navigable maps or user
listings.

Client to Server messages

  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-getusers <auth> 
  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-getlocation <auth> 
  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-gettopoloy <auth> location: <location> distance: <hops>
  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-getself <auth>

Server to Client messages

  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-location <auth> id: <id>
  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-users <auth> id: * name: * location: * idle: *
  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-topology <auth> id: * name: * exit: * idle: *
  #$#dns-com-awns-visual-self <auth> id: <id>


MANIFEST

    README			this file
    dns-com-awns-visual.moo	a MOO code @dump, the package
    topology.jhcore.moo		a MOO code @dump, the Topology Driver
    visualfo.jhcore.moo		a MOO code @dump, the Visual Feature Object
    visualeh.jhcore.moo		a MOO code @dump, the Visual Event Handler


INSTALL

As a non-wizard user port the MOO-code in the file dns-com-awns-visual.moo.
You'll need to load the file into a text editor and use search and
replace functions to replace the following strings with their
relevant values:

    __PACKAGE__		object id of generic MCP package
    __NEW__		object id of newly @create'd package
    __REGISTRY__	object id of $mcp.registry
    __TOP__		object id of the Topology Driver

The Topology Driver is defined in the file topology.jhcore.moo,
the id of the object you create when porting the file gives the
value of '__TOP__'.

To add the package to the MCP Registry, become a wizard and type:

    @add-package __NEW__ to __REGISTRY__

The package should be detected by your client the next time you
connect to the MOO.

Users who wish to receive location updates when they move to
different rooms should also type:

    @add-feature __VFO__


SUPPORT OBJECTS

The package requires several support objects.  The objects provide
an interface between the MOO and the protocol.  The nature of the
overall application can be changed by modifying the support objects'
behaviour, leaving the underlying protocol (literally the messages
to and from the server) unchanged.

The Visual Feature Object and the Visual Event Handler (__VEH__)
provide event awareness.  Feature Objects in JHCore are able to
register event handlers for a user, without requiring any modification
of the user's object.

The Visual Event Handler is notified whenever
the user moves into a new room and is able to generate a new
'dns-com-awns-visual-location' message which tells the client that
the user's location has been changed.

The Topology Driver (__TOP__) provides the interface between the
package and the MOO's model for topology.  Drivers for other cores
my choose to apply different rules when determining the set of
available exits from a room.


UPDATING THE WHO LIST

A background task needs to be started which will periodically
broadcast the list of users to interested clients.  As the owner
of the Visual Feature Object issue the following command to start
this task:

    ;__VFO__:update_who()

Users can then add or remove themselves from the list of interested
clients which will receive updates by using the @visual_who command
defined on the Visual Feature Object.  For example, as a user of
the Visual Feature Object issue the following command:

    @visual_who