![[aMess - a Messaging Program]](/media/logo.gif)
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aMess
a Messaging Program
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aMail is an open source web based e-mail readder licenced under the
conditions established by the BSD type license [1]. This reader is
speciall well suited for its use in e-mail hosting services; it can be
also used for personal hosting in a personal computer but it has its
drawbacks that do not allow aMail to fit well in this environment (and
others not mentioned here).
It has its niche market (web mail service providers) but doesn't fit
some characteristics needed to allow its broad adoption, so it will
be modified to reach this goal.
The main characteristics of aMail is its complete functionality, but
it lacks some internal structure that don't allow it to be flexible
enough for feature adding. So the main goal of this project is to transform
its internal structure to allow it fit well in any desired platform: web,
standalone program, etc.
Supposed starting point
- This system will be a bed test for new technologies
- Reusability at a full scale is desired: code, infrastructure, documentation,
and every piece of information produced should be prepared for its use in
any project.
Restrictions
- The system functionality, and user interface (UI), will not be
changed during phase I, just the internal structure will be modified.
Start-up
An IT project characteristics are time frame, life cycle, desing and
requirements, and reusability. The aMail project will be described
depicting these characteristics to allow a better system comprehension.
Let's boogie-woogie !!
- Time frame: For Open Source products there's no time frame to be tied,
because technical excellence is our goal.
- Design and requirements: According to the reusability and the bed test
profile of this projects, the basic design of this
product will be a modular one, carried out through
the use of "object oriented" methodology for design
and coding that have prove to have a slow adoption
gradient at the beginning but being the "current
most adaptive" one.
- Life cycle: This is part of a whole. It must be adaptive and allow a full
product and mechanism reuse.
- Reusability: "Per se" we are using an already developed product, so we
are reusing code, with the addition of full information reuse.
This can be seen as an "investment protection" mechanism.
These project characteristics shows us the path to a new adapted project
model, such no long lived and with a narrow focus that can produce results
in the short term.
These also shows us that a tool that fits almost perfectly for this
class of work is UML. This system is already made, so no analysis will
be needed, but a lot of information and processes can be enhanced by
UML, such as deployment, documentation, and testing just to name a few.
Stakeholders
The stakeholders are :
- People directly involved in the project as developers, analists, etc.
- The Open Source community, which brings support to these class of works
More information
[1] aMail BSD license
![[aMess documentation]](/man/media/logo.gif)
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aMess
a Messaging program
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