[aprssig] Object vs Item (was: Object Timestamps and 111111)

[Keith VE7GDH]

Lynn KJ4ERJ wrote...

> The object format requires the timestamp. The item format does
> not, however there seems to be some reason that Objects are used
> instead of Items. Can anyone clarify that history?

You've got it right... they are functionally the same except for the
type identifier and no timestamp for an item, and an object name must
be 9 characters,,, an item can be 3-9 characters. I wasn't around, so
don't know anything of the history. Perhaps Bob can do that. I'm sure
you have looked at the spec where it says items are "really intended
for inanimate things that are occasionally posted on a map" but very 
often, objects are also inanimate things. There must have been some
reason to have both, but with functionality being the same except for
the lack of a time stamp and the allowable number of characters for
the name, there doesn't seem much point. However, for something
that never changes, e.g. an object to advertise a voice repeater, there
would be a pretty good argument for using an item instead. Is there any
client software or hardware that has problems displaying items? It
would save a few bytes.

I just wrote a script (plagiarized) for creating and killing items, and the
item displayed properly in UI-View 2.03.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"