# $File: //depot/libOurNet/BBS/lib/OurNet/BBS.pod $ $Author: autrijus $
# $Revision: #3 $ $Change: 8637 $ $DateTime: 2003/10/30 11:42:45 $

=head1 NAME

OurNet::BBS - Component Object Model for BBS systems

=head1 VERSION

This document describes version 1.66 of OurNet::BBS, released
October 30, 2003.

=head1 SYNOPSIS

    use strict;
    use OurNet::BBS;
    # use OurNet::BBS 'big5'; # use unicode strings internally

    my $BBS = OurNet::BBS->new({
	backend	=> 'MELIX',		# use the Melix BBS backend
	bbsroot	=> '/home/melix',	# where to find the BBS data
    });

    my $brd = $BBS->{boards}{sysop};	# the sysop board
    my $mtime;

    printf (
        "This BBS has %d boards, %d groups.\n",
        scalar keys(%{$BBS->{boards}}),
        scalar keys(%{$BBS->{groups}}),
    );

    eval { $mtime = $brd->{articles}->mtime };
    die "Error: cannot read board $board -- $@\n" if $@;

    printf (
        "The $board board has %d articles, %d top-level archive entries.\n",
        $#{$brd->{articles}}, $#{$brd->{archives}},
    );

    # A simple Sysop board article monitor
    print "Watching for new articles...\n";

    while (1) {
        print "=== wait here ($mtime) ===\n";
        sleep 5 until ($brd->{articles}->refresh);

        foreach my $article (@{$brd->{articles}}) {
            print "Found article: $article->{title}\n" 
		if $article->btime > $mtime;
        }

        $mtime = $brd->{articles}->mtime;
    }

=head1 DESCRIPTION

OurNet-BBS is a cross-protocol distributed network, built as an
abstraction layer over telnet BBS-based systems used in Hong Kong,
China and Taiwan. It implements a flexible object model for
different BBS backends, along with an asymmetric authentication
and remote procedure call protocol.

This project aims to become a I<protocol agnostic> middle-ware
solution for identity-based information storage & retrieval,
much like the Project Jabber's goal toward instant messaging,
or Project JXTA's aim toward distributed services.

If you are new to the telnet-bbs platform, please download a
copy of Melix BBS software (in English, Traditional Chinese
and Simplified Chinese) at L<http://melix.elixus.org/>.

For some of its practical uses, search for B<OurNet::BBSApp>
on CPAN, and the sample scripts in the F<eg/> directory in this
module's distribution.

=head1 HISTORY

This section has been moved to the F<ChangeLog> file in the
source distribution.

=head1 SEE ALSO

L<OurNet::BBS::Tutorial> for a general overview of the B<OurNet::BBS>
model.

L<OurNet::BBS::Roadmap> for the design goals, components, and related
discussions.

L<http://melix.elixus.org/> for development news, new releases, and
binary distributions.

=head1 AUTHORS

Chia-Liang Kao E<lt>clkao@clkao.orgE<gt>,
Autrijus Tang E<lt>autrijus@autrijus.orgE<gt>

=head1 COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2001, 2002, 2003 by
Chia-Liang Kao E<lt>clkao@clkao.orgE<gt>,
Autrijus Tang E<lt>autrijus@autrijus.orgE<gt>.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or 
modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

See L<http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html>

=cut