"Mark Firestone" <hash_bang / retrobbs.org> schrieb im Newsbeitrag 
news:000601c52764$2d450cc0$4601a8c0 / retrobbs.org...
> Just looking for some advice, about that boring ruby BBS that I'm always
> rambling on about...
>
> ..I got the fido, and the smtp working... so I'm looking for a new
> challenge, and it would be nice to actually have someone use the bloody
> thing, so I thought, I'll hook it up to html...
>
> What's the best way to code this?  If I had designed this thing properly
> from the get-go, I could just write a separate cgi script in e-ruby ...
> as *most* of the data is stored in a postgres database.
>
> The only stuff that isn't in postgres, is the user data, because it
> would mean major surgery to change this (because of my poor design...
> there are loads of places in the code where the program directly looks
> at data.
>
> Anyway, I thought of just building a ruby web server into the program,

=> Webrick

> in fact I've started playing with this... so should I do this, or go
> though a major re-write to put the user stuff in postgres?

I'd probably do that because it's more consistent.

>  As far as
> http sessions go, can I assume that I'll keep the same TCP session for
> an entire "user" session, or do I need cookies?

No, you cannot assume that since HTTP is stateless.  Although HTTP 1.1 
provides a means for reusing a connection you still have to deal with 
interruptions etc.

>  And if so, how can my
> web server keep track of this?

One standard approach is to use session cookies.  And since it's so common 
there's most likely a solution for this available already.  You won't have 
to code this yourself.

> Seems like this will be one of those educational projects... again...

:-)

Kind regards

    robert