Re: TCP/IP-based protocol

[Darren Cook <darren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jago is a java-based IGS client that also has a protocol for direct
client-to-client playing. I asked the author, Rene Grothmann, what he would
think of using that protocol as the basis for a standard, and his reply is
below. I've not looked at it properly yet, but it does what is needed and
is already implemented. Next step would be to make an open-source C
implementation that existing go programs could simply compile in.

Darren


>From: Rene Grothmann <grothm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: TCP/IP-based protocol
>
>I consider the protocol I use for the peer to peer connection in Jago
>public domain. I have never made a detailed copyright license for Jago
>code, but I would probably stick with something like GPL. This would not
>apply to commercial programs using the protocol in own code, which I would
>allow freely.
>
>I am also willing to cooperate with anyone, who tries to improve the
>protocol. I made this up for the sole purpose of easily connecting two Jago
>clients on a serial asynchronous or synchronous line, using complete line
>commands. The protocol is not restricted to TCPIP, but can use serial
>lines, IO-streams and the like. It is on the same layer as for instance the
>SMTP-protocol.
>
>The protocol is described in the HTML documentation of Jago. If anyone is
>going to use it, I'd appreciate that. If you have comments or questions,
>I'd like to hear of them. I do not think that the protocol is perfect yet.
>
>The first difficulty is that the protocol interpreter is not cleanly
>separated from the graphics implementation in the Jago program. This would
>have to be done. If there is major insterest, I am willing to write a Java
>component (bean) that isolates the protocol interpretation from the
>program, and has clearly defined interfaces, so that everyone can use it in
>a Java program. I would not be difficult to do the same in C.
>
>I guess the main difficulty is to get the commercial go programmers to
>implement a new protocol, even if it has advantages.
>
>You may forward this to the newsgroup, if you like,
>
>Rene.