On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:24:06 +0100, Rowan Collins &lt;rowan.collins(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: That sounds like a really good idea. I was talking with Tim Starling on IRC briefly last night about maybe moving some of the parsing code out into Javascript so that the client could do some of the work. An interface for viewing articles as unparsed wikicode (and minus the surrounding page framework, so it could all go in an IFRAME, like how Epoz and FCKedit work) would be useful for both a Javascript parser and a bot interface. I assume there are routines for outputting articles this way anyway, since something needs to populate the <textarea> fields when editing. /off to go pick through code -Bill Clark

Magnus Manske &lt;magnus.manske(a)web.de&gt; wrote: That actually sounds very sensible - it allows for a fair bit of robustness testing on the conversion process. It might even be possible to leave the inline-syntax-extractor enabled to give users a warning if they enter metadata in the wrong box, but act on it anyway (as though it had been entered in the other box in the first place). On a very minor note, if it did get implemented, it might be best to label it something less intimidating than "metadata", especially given the existing uses of "meta" within Wikimedia projects. That sounds good (plus "NO_PERMISSION" for 'protected' pages, etc). I guess the main thing that would need thinking about for such an interface is the *submission* part of the process - it could work essentially as now, but I wander if it couldn't be simplified. The actual HTTP POST is probably simple enough, but then you've got to handle cookies for authentication, and there are 'hidden' fields to do with edit conflicts that need retaining and sending back. From a bot's point of view, it would be best if these were all rolled into one framework (some kind of XML?) so that the whole thing could be dumped back as one big POSTDATA field. I think cookies in particular seem an unnecessary overhead for a single-purpose bot, although I don't know how easily general authentication can be seperated from cookie-specific code as the software stands. Well, one of these days, I'll stop dreaming and submit a properly-written patch. Mañana, mañana... -- Rowan Collins BSc [IMSoP]