Survey

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             LIBWWW SURVEY
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Opens: September 22, 2000
Ends:  October 6, 2000
Goal:  Get a clear idea of what the libwww user community would like to
       do with libwww
Means: Mail your responses to this form to www-lib-survey@w3.org

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[1.0] Who are you and how do you use libwww
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[1.1] Do you develop or have developed applications that use libwww

[X] Yes
[ ] No

If you didn't answer yes to [1.1], go to section 2.

[1.2] What kind of application (you may cite the name too, if you want)
Networked medical imaging device

[1.2] On which platform and environment (mark all that apply)

[X] X-Windows
[X] Unix (includes Linux, Solaris, ...)
[X] Win32
[X] GTK
[ ] Others (please cite):

[1.3] Which language(s) did you use

[X] C
[X] C++
[ ] Others (please cite):

[1.4] How do you rate your programming skills

[X] Experience programmer
[ ] Average programmer
[ ] Beginner

[1.5] What parts of libww do you use

[ ] XML parser
[ ] RDF parser
[ ] HTML parser
[X] HTTP
[ ] FTP
[ ] News
[ ] Telnet
[ ] Gopher
[ ] SSL
[ ] Others (please cite):

[1.6] What applications of libwww do you use

[X] Examples
[ ] Robot
[ ] LineMode parser
[ ] Command line parser
[ ] WinCommander

[1.7] What modifications do you make to the code before you use it?

[1.8] If you have any tests for libwww code, what parts of libwww
      do you test and are you willing to contribute the tests to
      the W3C?

[1.9] Anything else you'd like to say

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[2.0] Your opinion of libwww
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[2.1] In your opinion, libwww is (check all that apply):

[X] useful to write sample code
[X] useful for learning how to program a WWW application
[X] useful to write production code
[ ] Other: please cite

[2.2] Do you find it useful that libwww is written in C

[X] Yes
[ ] No

[2.3] Please explain your previous answer
C++ would be better, but the current design is sufficiently OO to make
it useful.

[2.4] Do you feel that libwww too big?

[ ] Yes
[X] No

[2.5] If so, which parts would you like to remove, or move to other
libraries

[2.6] What are the things that you like the most of libwww
Free, cross-platform, good HTTP implementation

[2.7] What are the things that you dislike the most of libwww
Lack of detailed documentation (especially about the post-web mechanism)

[2.8] What are the things that you would like to change in libwww

[2.9] What are the things you think that libwww are missing

[2.10] Anything else you'd like to say

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Section 3: The future
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
[3.1] Let's continue with libwww
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[3.1.1] Do you think it's worth it to have a WWW library?

[X] Yes
[ ] No

[3.1.2] Do you know of any other similar libraries (please give a URL to

        the project if possible)
Mozilla has an HTTP library (code-named Nekko) that might be good, but
there is even less documentation.  Libhttpr is a simple http
implementation, but the
documentation is in French.

[3.1.2] Do you think it's worth it to invest time continuing enhancing
        libwww and its architecture.

[X] Yes
[ ] No

[3.1.3] Are you interested in joining the core team of such a project
        (enhancing libwww)?

[ ] Yes
[X] No

[3.1.4]  If you are willing to write some new documentation or improve
         existing documentation, which topics are you willing to
document?

[3.1.5] Anything else you'd like to say

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[3.4] Let's invest our forces enhancing an existing project
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[3.4.1] Do you think it's better to enhance another existing project
(i.e.,
        merge our efforts)

[ ] Yes
[X] No

[3.4.2] Are you interested in joining the core team of such a project
        (enhancing an existing project)?

[ ] Yes
[ ] No

[3.4.3] Anything else you'd like to say

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[3.5] Let's write it again
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[3.5.1] Do you think the project should stop and start again from a
clean
        slate?

[X] Yes
[ ] No

[3.5.2] Which language would you use and why (please take into account
        portability among systems)?
C++.  Very commonly used.  Would be much easier to develop and maintain
a decent architecture than with C.

[3.5.3] Are you interested in joining the core team of such a project
        (starting a new libwww project)?

[ ] Yes
[X] No

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[3.6] Where to host it
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[3.6.1] Should W3C continue hosting libwww or any other spin-off
projects?

[X] Yes
[ ] No

[3.6.2] SourceForge (SF): How would feel if the W3C transferred libwww
to a
        SF project?
Not a problem

[3.6.3] Are you currently involved with any SF projects?

[ ] Yes
[X] No

[3.6.4] If so, do you think libwww would fit into that developement
paradigm?

[ ] Yes
[ ] No

[3.6.5] Do you have other suggestions of where libwww should be hosted?

[3.6.6] Anything else you'd like to say

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[4.0] Your comments
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[4.1] Anything else you'd like to say