This, I hope, will start a 2nd thread, an
*implementation* thread, for having a way
to specially-mark threads we've either
started ourselves, or added a comment to.
(Maybe *two* additional mark-types, then,
one for where we've *originated* a thread,
and another somewhat-lesser one for where
we've merely added a comment to.)
(Aside: Seems like, with just about every key on
the keyboard being already used for at
least two different purposes by trn,
we'll have a problem providing any
control over such a facility, except
via a config file.)
Whenever we post to a group, whether
from within trn or from outside,
stand-alone, our post ends up going
through "Pnews". So that looks like
a convenient place for setting up a
memory of what we've posted:
. pnews knows what group we posted to.
. pnews knows whether it's an original
post, vs a followup.
. pnews knows our or the subject-string.
. pnews knows today's date and time.
. pnews, inventing its own method of
remembering this stuff in a per-newsgroup-
posted-to file, can set up as many
per-post fields, for all kinds of information
(attributes, properties) it might want
to allow the Pnews-user to (optionally)
supply.
. pnews's own "commands" are 100% separate
from those of trn-proper, so there's no
worry about "all the keys already being
used up".
Then, Pnews having left behind a record
of its posts and followups, makes it
easy for trn, on opening a news-group,
to read that Pnews-written file, if and
when it wants to.
That is, when the user opens a newsgroup
for which there is such a file, or for
which there is a *recently-modified* file,
or whatever, right then, within the
"opening the newsgroup" process, it can
(optionally, via command-line option, config
file, command at the "choose-news-group"
level, ...) *prompt* the user:
You have some (recent) posts to this
newsgroup: would you like me to
show as "marked" *only* those threads
that you've posted to? Or just those
threads you've *originated*? Or all
three, mixed together via the same mark?
Then, having finished with, say, those
you've originated, you could exit the
group and immediately re-enter it, answering
differently this time.
Better, if a key can be found, a way to
toggle through the several possibilities,
much as the "L" command does now (short,
long, and very-long thread-listing).
----
Approached in something like the above scheme,
adding such a badly needed facility isn't
really that difficult -- assuming that the
person doing the implementing will personally
benefit from it.
Anyway, it provides this ability, without
getting too involved in trn's intricate
code, so it wouldn't be too likely to
cause something else to screw up.
----
The above is just a starter, and depends on
the rest of you to add modifications, or
perhaps even to go in an entirely different
direction.
---
Thanks for reading all this!
David
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