I would like to initiate a discussion about return codes of VSoup,
because not all users are happy with them.
Short 'history'
---------------
VSoup is the multithreaded Souper version for OS/2 (anyway, comments
from windoze etc users are welcome). It is currently in 1.1beta, but
it's only a short time until release of version 1.2 (without beta).
Criticism
---------
Some users complain, that they cannot use VSoup for unattended
news/mail transmission/reception, because VSoup does not return enough
useful information in its diagnostic return code. To help those
people, I would like to have several points of view about that
problem.
My point
--------
Currently VSoup returns only '0' for successfull operation and '1' for
failed operation - so what is successful and what means failed?
To my understanding one has successful operation, if no user attention
is required, which means successful is:
- VSoup connected to the network
- and transfer was ok
- it is still successful if your mailbox is empty or there are no
articles for you to receive
Failed operations are, if user/script attention is required:
- VSoup could not connect
- there was a timeout
- one has requested 'vsoup -s' and there was no 'replies'
rem: script attention means e.g. for 'vsoup -s' that the files should
be packed again into a reply.zip file
There are also some kinds of situations, were VSoup will generate a
StsMail (if not forced with '-M'):
- failed operation from above
- new newsgroups (only if called with '-a')
- some non fatal failed commands (e.g. ~/newstime is broken)
rem: some of the points are not true for the 'public' beta, but will
be for version 1.2
Future return code
------------------
My idea is, that there will be (fatal) error codes (user/script
attention required) and warning codes ('if you have time, have a look
at...'). To have those codes systematic, I suggest odd numbers for
errors and even numbers for warnings, 0 means everything worked fine.
Have I missed any point? Comments are highly appreciated, welcome and
so on! Now it is your turn...
Hardy
PS: if there will be an implementable conclusion about the return
codes, it will be available in the version 1.3 of VSoup
-- Hardy Griech, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 25/1, D-72762 ReutlingenI haven't been married in over six years, but we had sexual counseling every day from Oral Roberts!!