curl/docs/ROADMAP.md

curl the next few years - perhaps
=================================

Roadmap of things Daniel Stenberg and Steve Holme want to work on next. It is
intended to serve as a guideline for others for information, feedback and
possible participation.

QUIC
----

The standardization process of QUIC has been taken to the IETF and can be
followed on the [IETF QUIC Mailing
list](https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/quic). I'd like us to get on the
bandwagon. Ideally, this would be done with a separate library/project to
handle the binary/framing layer in a similar fashion to how HTTP/2 is
implemented. This, to allow other projects to benefit from the work and to
thus broaden the interest and chance of others to participate.

HTTP cookies
------------

Two cookie drafts have been adopted by the httpwg in IETF and we should
support them as the popular browsers will as well:

[Deprecate modification of 'secure' cookies from non-secure
origins](https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-cookie-alone-00)

[Cookie Prefixes](https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-cookie-prefixes-00)

[Firefox bug report about secure cookies](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=976073)

SRV records
-----------

How to find services for specific domains/hosts.

curl_formadd()
--------------

Make sure there's an easy handle passed in to `curl_formadd()`,
`curl_formget()` and `curl_formfree()` by adding replacement functions and
deprecating the old ones to allow custom mallocs and more.

Or perhaps even better: revamp the formpost API completely while we're at it
and making something that is easier to use and understand:

 https://github.com/curl/curl/wiki/formpost-API-redesigned

Third-party SASL
----------------

Add support for third-party SASL libraries such as Cyrus SASL.

SASL authentication in LDAP
---------------------------

...

Simplify the SMTP email
-----------------------

Simplify the SMTP email interface so that programmers don't have to
construct the body of an email that contains all the headers, alternative
content, images and attachments - maintain raw interface so that
programmers that want to do this can.

Email capabilities
------------------

Allow the email protocols to return the capabilities before
authenticating. This will allow an application to decide on the best
authentication mechanism.

Win32 pthreads
--------------

Allow Windows threading model to be replaced by Win32 pthreads port.

Dynamic buffer size
-------------------

Implement a dynamic buffer size to allow SFTP to use much larger buffers and
possibly allow the size to be customizable by applications. Use less memory
when handles are not in use?

New stuff - curl
----------------

1. Embed a language interpreter (lua?). For that middle ground where curl
   isn’t enough and a libcurl binding feels “too much”. Build-time conditional
   of course.

2. Simplify the SMTP command line so that the headers and multi-part content
   don't have to be constructed before calling curl.

Improve
-------

1. Build for windows (considered hard by many users).

2. curl -h output (considered overwhelming to users).

3. We have > 200 command line options, is there a way to redo things to
   simplify or improve the situation as we are likely to keep adding
   features/options in the future too.

4. Authentication framework (consider merging HTTP and SASL authentication to
   give one API for protocols to call).

5. Perform some of the clean up from the TODO document, removing old
   definitions and such like that are currently earmarked to be removed years
   ago.

Remove
------

1. makefile.vc files as there is no point in maintaining two sets of Windows
   makefiles. Note: These are currently being used by the Windows autobuilds.