[IRCServices] IRC Services 5.1 Features

[Craig McLure]

Ok, this is going to be a mail where i comment on the original message..

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>     I'm always open to suggestions, but here are some of the things I'm
>thinking about:
Careful of thinking.. its bad for you lol (j/k)

>- At least some progress toward support for MySQL/etc. databases
I'm still not entirely convinced that MySQL is needed.. i'm working on an interface that allows the current version of Services to communicate with a web inteface using sockets.. and if you DO add MySQL, i think it should be a feature which is 'all or nothing', having "some progress" wouldnt really be useful.. (currently, i understand that MySQL isnt possible due to the way that services stores all its information in structs, rather than directly accessing the database) but unless there is full dynamic read / write, it probably wouldnt be used (this will bring me onto another point later).

>- A wider variety of statistics from StatServ
irc.chatspike.net uses a modified version of Statserv at the moment, which will do periodic dumps to a SQL file (which can be imported) although you said you would take a look at its feature set when it was first completed, i dont think you got around to it.

>- More flexible logging (e.g. separate "main" log and "event" log)
>- Some way to simplify the configuration process (a configuration module
>  for the HTTP interface, for example)
>
>     And before anyone asks (because I know someone will...), no, I won't
>add a BotServ.
Thank god.
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ok, now for a couple of suggestions of my own..
a "Standardised" database format, which would allow modules to create and maintain databases in the same way as services would (so the database module would be totally independant from other modules). Having to code a database from scratch for services can be frustrating.

a way for modules which add commands to say.. Nickserv to dynamicly add items to help files without the need to edit the .lang files. I find it frustrating sometimes when i release modules that add functionality to nickserv that they cant be viewed in /ns help without editing the language file. so for example, addhelp(<SECTION>, <LANGUAGE>, <STRING>); if section already exists, append it to the end (for example /ns help commands, or a totally seperate item which can be added to the command struct). Maybe if this is done, the entire of services hlp can be dynamically generated, so it wont list commands that arn't avaliable.

possibly add sendpass commands for encrypted passwords? ;)

maybe a second mode for memoserv, currently, you have either forward on or off, i'd like to have a 'Notify' command, which will send me a memo just saying "You have a new memo" and possibly the command for reading it, but leaving it in the database. 

PLEASE NOTE: before flaming me, this is my 2c when it comes to 5.1, i'm not saying any of these features 'must be in there'. Andy has done a lot of hard work on services, and i appreciate this. When it comes to the services frontend, i think all that can be crammed into it (bar 1 or 2 small features) has been. my suggestions were made in a hope that when it comes to module development, life can become much easier, encouraging more people to create their own modules. i concider myself to be 'active' on the module scene, and find some parts of creating modules frustrating :)

Thanks for your time.

/****************************************
 *     Craig "FrostyCoolSlug" McLure
 *       Craig at FrostyCoolSlug.com
 * InspIRCd   - http://www.inspircd.org
 * ChatSpike  - http://www.chatspike.net
 ****************************************/