Hi. Google Summer of Code 2008 is really close. So I've thought of applying for a project connected to Gajim client - being more specific: implementing whiteboard. I've already talked to Asterix about it and he thinks this would be a really nice feature. He pointed me out here to ask whether there is any official (or at least recommended) way to do this.
So I've done my homework and read all the discussion I have found on this list regarding 'whiteboard xmpp specification' - especially discussion that took place in August last year. Below is my attempt to summarize this briefly: * there are a few implementations working already (i.e. Concinella, Psi by Joonas Govenius, the one in Inkscape) but these are _not interoperable_ * there were a few attempts to build a specification. I list them below in the order (I think) they've appeared: The oldest (last update:2001) approach to specify a standard for whiteboard (I don't suppose this is used. but I'm not sure): http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/inbox/whiteboard2.html XEP-0113: Simple Whiteboarding (this one's deferred) http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0113.html An SVG Based Whiteboard Format (this could be used with the next one -sxde - to build a standarized whiteboard?): http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/inbox/whiteboard.html Shared XML Document Editing (a generalized approach, I suppose this one was substituted by the next one): http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/inbox/sxde.html Shared XML Editing (This is by far the most recent approach - this is going to a fundamental standard for all applications of shared XML editing. This is the one that team is currently working on.): http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/inbox/sxe.html * stated above there are two types of discussions around: - whether the 'shared XML editing' isn't too generalized approach for whiteboard (but AFAIK this SXE would only be a common _base part_ for all applications that would use shared editing - or am I wrong?) - how to solve concurrency problems, especially when users attempt to edit the same object in parallel I think this would be it. Maybe I have missed something - if so, please point this out. Finally here are my two questions: - what is currently _the best way_ to implement whiteboard (in this case in Gajim). Should it be based on SX(D)E? Or maybe it should be based on currently working implementations in other clients so that it could interoperate with them? (I guess the first one is more sensible in current situation) - what are the chances that this project will be chosen by XSF for GSoC2008. What I am worried about is whether currently there is any sense in implementing this if there is no official specification for whiteboard. What I mean is that I would really like to do this, but what is XSF opinion about this. My current proposal would be to implement SX(D)E in Gajim as whiteboard and point out pitfalls that I fall in to during coding which could help build a specification draft. But I suppose Jonnas Govenius is working on this in Psi, so this falls back again to the question: is this project sensible for GSoC in XSF opinion. Thank you for your answers in advance. -- Regards -- Mateusz Biliński
