[aprssig] spaces in object names PROPOSAL

[Bob Bruninga]

Wow, trying to keep up with this at a conference between sessions.  SO I will just cut to the chase.  Everyone has good points (and some pad ones too).

Can we all agree to the following fundamental principles:

1) The NAME of a "thing" in APRS is the fundamental key to its existence.  This means that if the NAME is the same, then it does not matter the source, or the type, be it station or object or item, if it has the same name, then it is the same thing and it REPLACES it.

2) To make this work with STATIONS having a variable length field, and OBJECTS having a fixed length field padded with spaces, these "padded" spaces are only significant in maintianing the fixed format, and do not have any significance when received with respect to the name.  IE, trailing spaces are dropped or ignored.

3) Leading spaces are a user mistake, and an anathma to me, so I'll leave this open.  TO me they are an error..

4) Given that the above were the fundamental objectives of APRS, the idea of embedded spaces (not trailing spaces)turned out to work in most applications, and we never really thought about it.  I personally would never name somethign with a space, because it is just too vulnerable to ambiguities...  but they appeared to work on most systems, so I have not had an opinion either way.  But now that it has come up, I believe that embedded spaces (not trailing ones) should be retained as sent by the sender.  THough, I think it is generally a poor idea. (though it works well for Dstar).

Can we all sign on to these interpretations:
1) Drop trailing spaces
2) Retain embedded spaces
3) Treat all resulting names independent of how they were received as the same "thing" with respect to replacement, overwriting, and/or killing.
4) And of course, retain in your data base the distinction of whether it is an object or a station as needed for user selection, manipulation and display, and so that ownership is preserved until replaced.  But in all cases the latest "identically named" thing replaces any other.

The major APRS system that fails #3 and #4 is UIview, but we live with it until someone finally writes something new.

Bob, WB4APR