libsmbclient: Browsing and a URI spec?

[Christopher R. Hertel]

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:	Christopher R. Hertel [SMTP:crh at nts.umn.edu]
> > Eg., when you start the
> > browsing application it automatically comes up with the workgroup
> > listing--sort of like a home page.
> >
> 	I agree this should be completely left under the control of the
> application itself but if it's relevant to the discussion at all then I
> think I should express that I do not believe the above example is ideal.
> If someone launches their "Network Neighborhood" like icon they should be
> presented with a list of servers in their "Neighborhood".

Yes, you're right.  When I typed "workgroup listing" I should have typed 
"listing of the default workgroup".  My goob.

> 99% of the time users don't give a hoot about what workgroup there in.
> Again this is a behavioural feature of the application itself and
> therefore has no bearing on the smb URI standard right? Otherwise I think
> these sorts of application level things have a tendency to sort themselves
> out. 

The only bearing it could have on the URI spec. is this:  Steve suggested 
that smb:/// (three slashes) might be translated to mean 'browse the 
servers in the default workgroup'.  This seems logical, since we can 
interpret smb:/// as being smb://server/ where the server name string is 
the empty string.  It seems reasonable to replace the empty name with the 
default name.

Richard points out, however, that the syntax smb:/// might take on other 
meaning in the future so it might be best not to use it now.  I would 
also mention that I do not know if an empty name (represented as 15 space 
characters followed by a type byte) is legal or not under NetBIOS.

Chris -)-----

-- 
Christopher R. Hertel -)-----                   University of Minnesota
crh at nts.umn.edu              Networking and Telecommunications Services

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