59 lines
2.8 KiB
Markdown
59 lines
2.8 KiB
Markdown
# Introduction {#sec:introduction}
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In the following work, we define the architecture, internal interfaces and the
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implementation of `imag` (called "the program" in the following chapters).
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The program is intended to be an _Personal Information Management Suite_
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(PIM-Suite), featuring all components such a suite should have, including
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contact management, calendar, todo-list functionality, etc.
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The program is intended to be used by so-called "power-users", therefor it is a
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commandline application which offers a polished interface to the user and is not
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bound to an editor, e-mail reader, RSS reader, etc. The program uses standards
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as icalendar, vcard, RSS/Atom, Markdown, etc.
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The development of this program may adapt other programs. For example, the
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todo-module may be implemented with the "taskwarrior" application, if possible,
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so we try to re-use functionality which is implemented elsewhere and where other
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people put a lot of effort into. We clearly do not want to duplicate
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functionality, work and effort or implementations.
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"imag" is a single-user, one-shot program. It is not intended to be used by
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multiple users with the same storage at the same time.
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This may change in the future.
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## The Problem {#sec:intro:problem}
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The problem "imag" wants to solve is rather simple. When the project was
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initiated, there was no PIM-Suite available which
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* was for this domain of users ("power-users", "commandline users")
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* contained functionality to link content
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The latter point is the bigger one: "imag" wants to offer the ability for users
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to link content. This means not only that a contact may be linked to a
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date, but that _all things_ can be linked together. For example that a wiki
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article can be linked to a date which is linked to a todo which is linked to a
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note which is linked to a contact.
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## The Approach {#sec:intro:approach}
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The approach "imag" takes on solving this problem is to store content in a
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(per-user) global "store" and persisting content in a unified way.
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Meta-Information is attached to the content which can be used to, for
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example, query the store.
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While content is stored in _one_ place, "imag" does not duplicate content.
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"imag" does not copy or move icalendar files, emails, vcard files, music or
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movies to the store, but indexes them and stores the meta-information in the
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store, making these things linkable this way.
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Detailed explanation on this approach follows in the chapters of this work.
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## Implementation {#sec:intro:implementation}
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The program is written in the Rust programming language.
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The program consists of libraries which can be re-used by other projects
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to implement and adapt "imag" functionality. An external program may use a
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library of the "imag" distribution to store content in the store of "imag" and
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make it visible to "imag" this way.
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