From: Eric Wong <e@80x24.org>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 09:19:13 +0000 (+0000)
Subject: doc: update design_www and add HACKING file
X-Git-Tag: v1.0.0~1220
X-Git-Url: http://www.git.stargrave.org/?p=public-inbox.git;a=commitdiff_plain;h=f93b46bea8cd2811d911f256447f9332b7fc6bfa

doc: update design_www and add HACKING file

Document some of the stranger choices I've made.
---

diff --git a/Documentation/design_www.txt b/Documentation/design_www.txt
index 1cd0d96e..0d25a45a 100644
--- a/Documentation/design_www.txt
+++ b/Documentation/design_www.txt
@@ -14,10 +14,41 @@ URL naming
 /$LISTNAME/f/$MESSAGE_ID                        -> 301 to .html version
 /$LISTNAME/f/$MESSAGE_ID.txt                    -> 301 to m/$MESSAGE_ID.txt
 
-TODO (these might be expensive)
--------------------------------
+Maybe TODO (these might be expensive)
+-------------------------------------
 /$LISTNAME/t/$MESSAGE_ID.html                   -> HTML content of thread
 /$LISTNAME/t/$MESSAGE_ID.mbox                   -> mbox content of thread
 
 We use file name suffixes on all of these (except /) so URLs may easily
 cached/memoized using a static file server.
+
+Guidelines for using limited HTML
+---------------------------------
+We mainly use HTML for linking pages together with <a>.
+We also set <title> to make window management easier.
+
+We favor <pre>-formatted text since public-inbox is intended as a place
+to share and discuss patches and code.  Unfortunately, long paragraphs
+tends to be less readable with fixed-width serif fonts which GUI
+browsers default to.  So perhaps we will add different endpoints for
+variable-width fonts.
+
+* Do not build <a> links from user-generated-content, this prevents
+  public-inbox deployments from being turned into a spam linkfarm.
+
+* No graphics, images, or icons at all.  We tolerate, but do not
+  encourage the use of GUIs.
+
+* No setting colors or font sizes, power to users to decide those.
+
+* No JavaScript. JS is historically too buggy and insecure, and we will
+  never expect our readers to do either of the following:
+  a) read and audit all our code for on every single page load
+  b) trust us and and run code without reading it
+
+* We only use CSS for one reason: wrapping pre-formatted text
+  This is necessary because unfortunate GUI browsers tend to be
+  prone to layout widening.  lynx is fine here without CSS :)
+  No other CSS is allowed, especially with scary things like:
+
+	http://thejh.net/misc/website-terminal-copy-paste
diff --git a/HACKING b/HACKING
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce04b3e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/HACKING
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+hacking public-inbox
+--------------------
+
+Send all patches via to our self-hosting list at meta@public-inbox.org
+
+See design_www.txt and design_notes.txt in the Documentation/ directory
+for design decisions made during development.