Community of MCL Practice: combining MCL and HTTP/HTML

["John C. Mallery" <JCMa@wilson.ai.mit.edu>]

We have an alpha-version MAC port of the Common Lisp HTTP server running in
MCL 2.0 in single threaded mode. See
http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/cl-http/server-abstract.html for a
description.

It includes HTML authoring tools and a rudimentary client that people can
build on, not to mention some extensions to MACTCP to make it more robust.

The examples use the server to document itself, MCL, and Common Lisp.

The plan is to release it FREE with SOURCES when MCL 3.0 comes out.  It needs
the real multi-threading that 3.0 will have.

Your obligation will be to write cool hacks, experiment, and hook up smart
systems to the WWW.

Given the productivity of lisp and the high intellectual level of most lisp
hackers, ceteris paribus, the lisp-based WWW hacking could take over the
leading edge of WWW development, especially if the server performance is
comparable to standard servers. The W3 Mode of Emacs has been the fastest
moving WWW client.

We could use some volunteers who want to:

	* Develop an online manual.

	* Develop interfaces for the server into various MAC facilities,
	e.g. apple script.

	* Develop export types that allow users for run CGI scripts or perl
	code just as they would with a UNIX based server (e.g., CERN server).

	* Beta-test.

	* Develop a stand-alone binary app so people without MCL can run the server.

	* Develop a client in MCL.

	* Develop a sharing system for vetting extensions and
	distributing them.

There are people working on ports to other lisps, and so, we expect code
developed using the portable packages will remain portable to other Lisp
environments.

Cheers,

John Mallery
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, NE43-797
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
545 Technology Square
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4301
WWW: http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/jcma/jcma.html