Wireshark · Ethereal-dev: Re: [Ethereal-dev] Re: Ethereal Gripe

[Tomas Kukosa <tomas.kukosa@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Mark H. Wood" wrote:
> On Thu, 21 Aug 2003, Ronnie Sahlberg wrote:
> [snip]
> > The difficult part is those parts that can not be described in a generic
> > packet/interface description language  such
> > as how and what state should be maintained between packets.   How packets
> > relate to eachother.
> > What information should go in COL_INFO.
> 
> Maybe the problem should be broken down into multiple languages.  One to
> describe packets, so that one can refer to the objects of interest in the
> packet-stream.  Another to describe the relationships among packets.
> Another, Ethereal-specific, to map objects and relationships onto the user
> interface.

The NetPDL languege contains two parts. The "Core Specification" for
packet description and the "Visualization Extension" for better view of
user interface.

http://analyzer.polito.it/30alpha/NetPDL/NetPDLCore.htm
http://analyzer.polito.it/30alpha/NetPDL/NetPDLPrint.htm

The <sumsection> elements are equel to Ethereal columns and the
<showsum> element can set any text to those columns.

For field visualization can be used some atributes
(showname,showtype,showmap,etc.) or <showdtl> element for custom
visualization.

Unfortunately, the NetPDL specification is not finished (e.g. Stream
Reassembly Specification). 

I would prefer using existing language to reinventing new one.

  Regards,
    Tom