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Conference iosg::all-in-1_v30

Title:*OLD* ALL-IN-1 (tm) Support Conference
Notice:Closed - See Note 4331.l to move to IOSG::ALL-IN-1
Moderator:IOSG::PYE
Created:Thu Jan 30 1992
Last Modified:Tue Jan 23 1996
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4343
Total number of notes:18308

1216.0. "GPC create and delete options %DCL-W-MAXPARM, too many parameters" by GIDDAY::SETHI (Man from Downunder) Tue Aug 11 1992 09:35

    G'day All,
    
    The Group Conferencing sub-system has the following problem :-(
    
    1. When a user tries to create a conference they get the following
       error message if the conference name has spaces
    
    	Creating conference USER$TSC:[SETHI.A1V030]ANOTHER TEST.NOTE . . .
        %DCL-W-MAXPARM, too many parameters - reenter command with fewer
        parameters
        \TEST\
    
    	Gold W gives you 
    
        %NONAME-E-WRITEERR, error writing
        USER$TSC:[SETHI.A1V030]ANOTHERTEST.NOTE;1
        -NONAME-S-SUCCESS, Successful completion
    
    2. When a user tries to delete a conference they get the following
       error message if the conference name has spaces
    
       %DCL-W-MAXPARM, too many parameters - reenter command with fewer
       parameters
       Do you really want to delete this conference? [Y/N]
    
    
    Looks like 1 and 2 are caused by VAXnotes receiving the conference name
    with spaces.  The error message is a VMS message so we could say it's a
    VAXnotes problem.  I think not, the problem I feel has been caused by
    ALL-IN-1 passing the conference name that contains spaces to VAXnotes.
    The following is from the trace I have obtained
    
    ![FUNC]   Function: NOTES, Cmd line: CREATE_CONFERENCE #OAN_CONF_SPEC,
    #TITLE,
    !               #NOTICE,  #OAN_MODERATOR,  #WRITEPROTECT, #REPLY_ONLY,
    #KEYWORD_
    !               RESTRICT, #MEMBER_RESTRICT
    ![A1LOG]  Entry: %OA-I-LOGFUN, Function: NOTES          
    CREATE_CONFERENCE #OAN_
    !               CONF_SPEC, #TITLE,  #NOTICE,  #OAN_MODERATOR, 
    #WRITEPROTECT, #R
    !               EPLY_ONLY, #KEYWORD_RESTRICT, #MEMBER_RESTRICT
    ![SYMBOL] Symbol: #OAN_CONF_SPEC, Value: USER$TSC:[SETHI.A1V030]THIS IS
    YET ANOT
    !               HER TEST.NOTE
    
    I would like to see the spaces removed and "-" or "_" inserted or just
    remove the spaces.  Can this be implimented in a future release ?
    
    The error messages are rather misleading unless you do a GOLD W.
    
    3. Protections are not being propergated for example if the
       NOTES$LIBRARY.DIR has W:RWE protection, the newly created conference
       has no access for world.  This is also true for a conference created
       in a users personal directory.
    
       If a user is a captive user he may not have access to DCL and is unable 
       to set the correct protections.   The system manager or ALL-IN-1
       manager has to spend time doing this task.  Is there away around this 
       problem ?
    
       The command procedure call SYS$MANAGER:NOTES$NOTEBOOK.NOTE allows
       the system manager to move the ALL-IN-1 conference from the users
       directory to the NOTES$LIBRARY.  It set's up the correct protections
       and ACL's can this be implimented in a future release ?
    
    
    Well it's been a good day I have had three wishes and so I will not add
    Wish to the note.  More of a bug report do I SPR it againest ALL-IN-1
    or VAXnotes ?
    
    Sunil
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1216.1Only one bug - I think!IOSG::PYEGraham - ALL-IN-1 Sorcerer's ApprenticeTue Aug 11 1992 11:5119
    It's true that if you try to create a conference from the TPU
    interface, it gives you the same error about extra parameters. Since
    the conference name is obviously the VMS file name of the conference,
    this is correct. IMHO we should check the validity of the file name in
    GPC before giving it to the callable interface, or handle the error
    returned in a more friendly way. It seems reasonable that you should
    report this.
    
    I'm less sure about whether we should move conferences to other places,
    and set the protections correctly. The user may well not have
    sufficient privileges, disc quota etc., for the specified location, and
    my perception (always dangerous!) is that there are sufficiently few
    conferences created, and those by a small number of people, that the
    System Manager would want to be involved anyway.
    
    We're already being beaten up extensively about the fact that GPC
    allows people to create conferences at will anyway!
    
    Graham
1216.2SPRing the problemGIDDAY::SETHIMan from DownunderWed Aug 12 1992 06:2930
    G'day Graham,
    
    Thanks for your reply I will SPR the problem as mentioned in points 1
    and 2 in the base note.
    
    I would also like to to clarify where the file protection arises from.  If
    the user creates a conference with spaces in the conference name the file 
    protection is set incorrectly, ie w:rwe access is not set it's w:.  However
    if the name contains no spaces than the file protection is set to
    w:rwe.
    
    The question about moving conferences what I would like to see is a
    conference management system and controls over who can create a
    conference and where.  Yes moving a conference is easy if you use the
    command procedure SYS$MANAGER:NOTES$MOVE_CONFERENCE.COM, this is not
    documented in the ALL-IN-1 manuals.  You may argue that it's a VAXnotes
    issue rather than ALL-IN-1.  The point is that more and more
    organisations are seeing ALL-IN-1 management and VMS systems management
    as two different tasks.  So it would be a good idea to build into
    ALL-IN-1 a GPC management system.  This would reduce the number of calls 
    about we moved our conference and can not access it.
    
    One more point have you seen some of those message in the GPC
    sub-system you have to be a really fast reader.  Some error messages
    get over written so quickly with prompts or other error messages.
    
    Thanks for your help you will see a SPR winging it's way over to the
    IOSG.
    
    Sunil
1216.3Agree - But Philosophical argument ensues!IOSG::PYEGraham - ALL-IN-1 Sorcerer's ApprenticeWed Aug 12 1992 10:5616
    I hadn't realised that the protection was set differently depending on
    whether the name had a space in it - that's an interesting bug!
    
    You are not the first person to request some more formal control on the
    creation of conferences, and your idea of having a conference
    management subsystem is a good one.
    
    More generally, there have always been philosophical arguments about
    how much VMS system management we should do in ALL-IN-1. Some
    customers, for whom ALL-IN-1 is the main reason to have the system,
    want to do all their system management from an ALL-IN-1 menu, whilst
    others who see ALL-IN-1 as just another application (pah!) feel that
    it's unreasonable for us to spend money duplicating an already existing
    command set...
    
    Graham
1216.4MAULS::REDMONDThoughts of an Idle MindWed Aug 12 1992 11:1913
There's no doubt that GPC error signalling could be better than it is today. 
Those of us who have worked on the subsystem realize this and have an IPR 
logged saying "Error signalling should be improved".  Whether or not this 
particular IPR is ever addressed is another matter.

If someone wants to write a "Conference Management" system (CM under a 
different name ;-) then I would be quite happy to see the resulting code and 
applaud their efforts.  I don't know, however, if the code (or something 
similar) would ever end up in ALL-IN-1....  There's many a slip between cup 
and lip, or something like that.  Anyway, ALL-IN-1 is customizable, so you 
can do what you like with the subsystem....

Tony
1216.5Group conferencing documentationOAXCEL::MCALLISTERNow is the winter of my discontent made glorious summer byWed Aug 12 1992 15:0311
    Re: .2
    
    �	Yes moving a conference is easy if you use the
    �	command procedure SYS$MANAGER:NOTES$MOVE_CONFERENCE.COM, this is not
    �	documented in the ALL-IN-1 manuals. 
    
    See section 14.2.3, "Moving a Conference to NOTES$LIBRARY," in the
    ALL-IN-1 Management Guide.
    
    Leslie McAllister
    
1216.6How about GCM - Group conferencing managerGIDDAY::SETHIMan from DownunderThu Aug 13 1992 09:5225
    Hi Tony,
    
    >If someone wants to write a "Conference Management" system (CM under a
    >different name ;-)
    
    How about calling it GCM Group conferencing manager ?  If a flag could
    be created in PROFILE.DAT for Group conferencing having the value of
    Y - can create a conference it would be great.
    
    The functions of the GCM 
    
    1. Allowed to set the users create conference flag.
    2. Move the conference to another location.
    3. Archive conferences.
    4. Delete conferences.
    5. Create conferences.
    6. Restrict access to the conference.
    7. Nominate other GCM's
    
    Just bouncing idea's if I had the time I would write something, maybe
    one day.
    
    Have a good day
    
    Sunil
1216.7Write, then post hereMAULS::REDMONDThoughts of an Idle MindThu Aug 13 1992 10:474
Feel free to write the code and submit it for assessment by the gentle 
readers of this conference. I'm sure you'll receive lots of good feedback.

Tony
1216.8fix named dataIOSG::VOWLESRaphael VOWLES DTN 830 6910 REO2 G/M2Tue Jun 29 1993 18:3044
re: .0 by GIDDAY::SETHI "Man from Downunder" >>>

>>>    1. When a user tries to create a conference they get the following
>>>       error message if the conference name has spaces
    
Try this. Does it work.
    Do not use special characters in the conference name. Acceptable
    characters are:
                A-Z Alpha (Always have a leading alpha character)
                0-9 Numeric
                _   Underscore
                $   US Dollar symbol
                -   Hyphen  (Leading Hyphens are NOT permitted.)


    The section of named data which refers to subroutine
    XOP ;;~~CHECK_CHARS~~;; reads ...


;;~~CHECK_CHARS~~;;

GET #OAN_INPUT = CONFERENCE\
 XOP "~~NO_HYPHENS~~\
 MAKE_FILE_NAME #OAN_FILE, #OAN_INPUT\
 .IF #OAN_FILE NES #OAN_INPUT
   THEN
      GET OA$DISPLAY=OA$_NOTES_BAD_CHARACTER\\
      GET OA$STATUS = 0


    ...should be amended to read...


;;~~CHECK_CHARS~~;;

GET #OAN_INPUT = CONFERENCE\
 XOP "~~NO_HYPHENS~~\
 MAKE_FILE_NAME #OAN_FILE, #OAN_INPUT\
 .IF #OAN_FILE NES #OAN_INPUT
   THEN
      GET OA$DISPLAY=OA$_NOTES_BAD_CHARACTER\\
      GET OA$STATUS = 0
   ELSE GET CONFERENCE = #OAN_FILE

1216.9BUSHIE::SETHIAhhhh (-: an upside down smile from OZWed Jun 30 1993 01:2314
    Hi Raphael,       
    
    Thanks for your suggestion I had discussed this with the customer or
    something similar sometime back.  The customer wanted me to SPR this
    problem and felt it's our problem we should solve it in a PFR.  By the
    way the workaround is in place.
    
    One last thing the SPR got lost and we have been told that's it's now
    in the process of being logged in "The database", sorry Tony back to 13
    yet again :-) !!!!.
    
    Regards,
    
    Sunil