Re: Request for improvement to MAIL

On Dec 28, 10:23 am, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spam...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The character cell MAIL utility should be improved to support the following:

-support for multipart (mime encoded) messages.

-upon encountering an image/xxxx attachement, MAIL should automatically
decode it, and convert the image into SIXEL format to be displayed on
the character cell terminal as part of the message.

-upon encountering a audio attachement, MAIL should automatically
invoque some speech recognition software that will convert the speech
into ascii text displayed as part of the message. (This is especially
important for VMS on them IA64 contraptions where a decision was made to
not support sound on those machines). Such facility would also be very
good and generating lyrics from music (just send yourself an MP3 and
when MAIL reads/decodes it, it will print out the lyrics for that song).

-upon encountering any .EXE attachement, VMS should automatically invoke
a translator such as FX32! to automatically execute that file under the
SYSTEM account on VMS. The SYSTEM account is necesary to ensure that the
.EXE succeeds in doing what it is supposed to do (such as deposit files
in system directories, modifying system files etc etc). When you
consider the volume of mails containing such files, VMS is quite late in
implementing automated suppport for them.

-support for flash files on character cell terminals is more
problematic. It is quite hard to display a high enough frame rate when
using SIXEL at 9600 baud to fill a screen. And the window needs to be
split so that a lower scrolling region will display the ascii text from
any sound files that are decoded. And support for REGIS may be required
to allow precise cursor positioning by the user wishing to "click" on a
button n the flash display. (the return key would obviously be used to
"click" on buttons after having moved the cursor with the arrow keys
over a button.

It is true that it would be far easier to implement the above on the
X-windows version of mail, but it appears that HP has made a decision
that no more development must be made on VMS X-windows software since
VMS is to be relegated to an obscure server-only OS.

Those sound like really good features. Maybe you could form a
committee to do a feasibility study and appoint a sub-committee to
conduct a market study to see if there's sufficient interest. If it
doesn't look like this would be a profitable venture, then maybe Mr.
Maher's Team-IMM would jump on it. I'd be willing to help once I
finish consolidating all of my other Windows app's onto my VMS
servers.

;-))
.

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