Re: MCP - references?

• Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 08:54:01 PDT
• From:
  Andrew Wilson <andrew@tees.elsevier.co.uk>

andreas.dieberger@lcc.gatech.edu (Andreas Dieberger):
> Hi.
> 
> I am starting to use the MCP now to provide local editing in my MOO client.
> I have some documentation on mcp - mostly what you can get out of help
> files in JHM and so. Is there any other documentation out there?
> 
> Here is the problem I have rigth now:
> 
> When logging into JHM I see that the MOO sends a line #$# mcp version 1.0
> or something like that.
> 
> So I thought the client probably has to react to that line with a
> @edit-option +local.  But is that +local automatically reset to -local on
> logout? Or is that something I have to implement myself?

Almost certainly something you need to implement for yourself.  The semantics
of the '#$# mcp version 1.0' upload were undefined last I heard.  Jay's working
on a new rendition of the MCP protocol, which may or may not make use of
this specific feature.  Existing clients (tkmoo) ignore this at the moment.

> Then: What about these autentication keys. Do I really need them? I have
> the impression they are pretty unnecessary if you want to support only
> local edit windows...

Authentication keys are originated by the client and sent to the MOO.  The
MOO then uses them to tag information that it sends back to the client.
clearly if these tags are not present, and if other people are also able
to send the $player object out-of-band information:

	player:notify("#$# something spurious...");

then there's no way for the client to know for certain that the information
it's receiving is legitimate, or something that someone else has spoofed.
If you wish to build a client with any level of useful functionality then
you'll need some authentication mechanism, because the client will
temporarily be the sole repository of important information uploaded from the
MOO.  Try editing your :confunc verb when your local editing system doesn't do
any form of authentication or otherwise sensible integrity checking!

> Are there any other things I should know that are mentioned nowhere in the
> help files.
> Thanks for any hints and infos,

Jay Carlson worked up a tcl client called tkmoo which got mauled and turned
into tkMOO-v0.4.1+:

	http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/User/Andrew.Wilson/tkmoo/

the source code might provide you with some clues.  The client supports
both MCP local editing and LambdaCore local editing.

> Andreas

Ay. 

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