Zircon Release 0.44Beta
-----------------------

This is an early Beta test release of Zircon, an X11 interface to Internet
Relay Chat. The software is written in tcl/tk and uses the tcl-dp TCP
extensions to provide network communications. Beta testers are asked
to provide comments on the interface that the system provides and to
test it under of a variety of conditions. Please resist the temptation
to hack the code. We will reach a stable, proper release quicker if we
can centralise changes to the program, however suggestions for
improvements in the code will also be welcome. We areparticularly
interested in making the system useful for those users in groups where
JIPS and other national character sets are used.

Please send all reports, comments and suggestions to: 

	zircon@catless.newcastle.ac.uk

We can also often be found on channel #GB and will keep open 
a channel #zircon when we are around. N.B. the user whose 
nick is zircon has nothing to do with this progam.

A mailing list for zircon users is being created - watch this space.

Enjoy!

Jimbles and Lindsay
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REQUIREMENTS

The software has been developed using:

	tcl	Version 6.7
	tk	Version 3.2
	tcl-dp	Version 1.0ak

You must have the dpwish program rather than the usual wish 
for zircon to be runnable.

The system has *NOT* yet been tested with the new Beta 
versions of tcl and tk. The code will minimally need to be 
changed to conform to the new packer syntax.

KNOWN PROBLEMS

This is a brain dump of all the difficulties that we can 
remember. It really is'nt as bad as it looks - you can use 
zircon for everyday chat in your favourite channel without 
hitting any of them, unless you are unlucky or like to be in 
JIPS channels! Our brave alpha testers can vouch for that.

1) TCP error handling is rudimentary if not non-existent. 
Tcl-dp does not have good error handling at the moment. It 
may be worth investigating some of the other TCP packages for 
tk, though they seem to have other problems.

2) The code does not have enough comments and needs to be 
cleaned up and generalised. A rewrite in [incr tcl] is on the 
cards.

3) Some of the more obscure IRC replies and commands are not 
handled well.

4) DCC and SED are not supported.

5) Focus handling is not quite right yet.

6) There should be a list of configurable resources.

7) There is no JIPS support. In fact there are problems when you even
attempt to join a group with JIPS characters in its name as tcl tries
to interpret the $ characters in them.... I have tried the JIPS
version of tcl but it didnt help.

8) The two calls on "tkwait" in the code have been known to 
cause problems at some sites and have been commented out.

9) *FIXED*

10) The layout of the channel text window could be much improved.

11) Currently you can only have one each of the various possible
information windows showing.

12) The teledildonics feature is under powered.

13) PID always returns 42

14) UTC is recognised but doesnt work at all.

15) Zircon ought to get the users IRCNAME from the gcos field in the
password file if it is not supplied.

16) CLIENTINFO doesnt work properly.

17) You ought to be able to save stuff back to your .zirconrc file
i.e. things like new actions and aways.

18) Character escaping in the low level CTCP protocol is not done.

19) CCTCP FINGER doesnt return idle time yet.

20) There ought to be a better user manual


NICE FEATURES

You can configure lots of stuff using X resources, thus it is possible
to make buttons associated with particular users appear in special
colours and fonts. That's it really, except that the system is much
easier to use than the usual UNIX interfaces to irc.

POSSIBLE FUTURE FEATURES

1) Automatic AWAY canceling when you type in a window.

2) Simple ON conditions and the ability to Ignore users.

3) Combined kick and ban option.

4) Nice icons instead of boring old buttons and text - suggestions welcome.

5) Better colour support. If we had a colour machine this would have
been done already....

6) Face icons for users. Probably using the faces mail icon database.

7) Sound

8) Support for extended Server features

9) A configuration control panel