Design Details

1. Creating a New User Proxy in the Java Client.

• Assume the user is exploring a directory called "design".
• From the File menu select Add to "design"...

• This results in a standard three-pane dialog. Select Objects from Categories and User Proxy from Options

• This results in:
  1. An entry is made for the new proxy in the session data block that is currently used for tracking who is looking at which objects. This entry would be named "New User Proxy" (or a variation on that name if it already exists, e.g. "New User Proxy 3"). This approach avoids problems with writing a new object to a directory that you may only have read access to, and can also simplify cleanup when the proxy is deleted. (Similar cleanup mechanisms exist for handling users whose connections drop without having logged out.) Finally, this makes the association somewhat more permanent, since other users could not arbitrarily remove or rename the association, and the association could "follow" the directory if it is moved or renamed.
  2. If the user creating the proxy has write permission for the "nere" directory, a new proxy object alias is placed in the "here" directory called "New User Proxy" (or a variation on that name if it already exists, e.g. "New User Proxy 3")
  3. Any displayed user proxy lists should be updated as appropriate
• At this point the user is in a position similar to creating any new object (see screen shot below.) The user will likely try to rename it (this will have to be checked for duplicates, something we don't usually do for most objects) and may want to delete or edit it.

2. Editing a User Proxy in the Java Client.

• Assume the user had already created, renamed, and perhaps edited a user proxy called "my proxy" using the process in section 1.

• There are three ways to begin to edit a user proxy while in the Java client:
  1. Double click "my proxy" to bring up a configuration screen for my proxy.
  2. Highlight "my proxy" and select "Open in Editor" from the Java client menu.
  3. If there is a window for the list of "Current Proxies", then double clicking on the proxy "my proxy" will bring up the same configuration window. (Note: Double clicking on a proxy in the "Current Proxies" list will bring about different results if you are the proxy owner (go the the edit window) or not (get a window with releasable information about the proxy.)
• Here is a prototype for the proxy configuration window. This will change as the proxy capablities are better defined and expanded.
  • The proxy configuration window:
    • Is entitled 'Configure "my proxy"...'
    • Facilitates the following entries (** indicates essential for first implementation)...
      • Proxy Name **
      • Proxy Mission **
      • Scope for mission (global, this directory, sub-tree, within n links, ...)
      • Publicly releasable description of proxy mission **
    • Allows the proxy to be deleted
  • Add a screen shot here!

3. Current Proxies Object (Java Client)

• Users can include a "Current Proxies" object in their directories for the purpose of displaying proxy lists in their rendered documents. This object is really an alias similar to the "Current Users" object.
• This object needs a unique icon.
• Double clicking on the "Current Proxies" object creates a window with a list of current proxies similar to a Users list.
  • Add a screen shot.
• Choosing a configuration menu item in the full editor view of "Current Proxies" or accessing the object from the web editor will result in options to specify the [WAS: Highlighting he "Current Proxies" object and selecting "File->Open in web browser" from the client menu will result in a window for editing] details of what will be rendered for this particular "Current Proxies" alias. Choices include...
  • "Global" to show a list of all proxies on the system
  • "Local" to show a list of all proxies watching this directory
  • "Sub-tree" to show a list of all proxied watching this directory or any contained directory
  • "Links" with a place to enter a number, n, to show a list of all proxies watching this directory or any objects (perhaps directory is easier?) within n links of an object in this directory. This is probably and advanced capability.
  • Add a screen shot!
• A new "Current Proxies" object can be created in a manner similar to section 1 but by choosing "Current Proxies List" instead.