Re: [NTLK] Proxy-based apps WAS: IC/VC and iCal subscriptions

From: Gavin McKenzie (gavin.mckenzie_at_gmail.com)
Date: Wed Oct 06 2004 - 16:39:39 PDT


Eckhart,

One solution would be to add an option to Raissa, Courier, etc. where
you can specify the address of a CGI Proxy (a CGI proxy, _not_ a
general HTTP proxy) which would receive and process all HTTP on behalf
of the application. The proxy could (among other things) do the
redirect resolution on behalf of the Newton application. Other
functionality could be put into the CGI Proxy, such as tidying the
content, etc.

(I know that nhttplib provides a setting for a http proxy, but that is
IMO orthogonal to supporting a CGI proxy)

There are CGI proxy libs available for both PHP and Python which I
have started looking into. In particular, one area where I've started
to experiment in this area is creating a Python CGI Proxy for RSS
feeds that incorporates Mark Pilgrim's Universal Feed Parser. [1]

With such a proxy we can normalize all types of feeds (such as ATOM)
into RSS that Raissa and Courier can consume. BTW the Universal Feed
Parser library handles redirects on its own.

I've started working on prototyping this.

I've been thinking about taking this approach with some of the
projects I want to do -- that by placing the burden of handling corner
cases and/or functionality that is more challenging on a server would
allow the Newton applications to focus on a smaller set of
requirements. The Newton app could still work standalone within the
range of requirements that it is designed to address, but combining it
with the proxy would up-level its functionality.

Of course, this approach isn't new or revolutionary. The notion of a
proxy or gateway isn't new, and not too long ago Palm's used to do
"web clipping" with a similar approach.

One downside to building internet apps this way is, of course, that
we'd need likely more that one proxy out there, and only some Newt
owners will be capable or prepared to install a personal proxy. But,
I'll assume for now that having a multiple of proxies won't be a hard
problem to solve. It isn't like we have a gazillion users that would
be hammering these proxies. A couple of proxies would be nice.

Anyway, creating a RSS proxy for Raissa is something that I'm noodling
on. My plan would be to add a CGI Proxy setting and functionality
into NHttpLib.

Comments welcome. Or, if someone else is already doing something in
this area let me know. Or more directly, Eckhart, if you're working
on Raissa/Courier/iCal subscriptions that would eliminate the need for
a proxy (or if you think what I'm describing is a bad idea) let me
know. I don't want to work at cross-purposes to anyone else.

Gavin.

[1] http://feedparser.org/

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