Prototypes:

Single-thread HTTP connection.
This prototype was implemented prior to the project plan.
You can download and test it.

Prototype 2

Multi-threaded application.
HTTP connection will run on a separate thread allowing a connection
status to be displayed dynamically.
(use proper class for the HTTP connection)
Deliverables:
   - Multi-threaded application
   - HTTP connection functionality built into a proper class
You can download and test it.

Prototype 3

Multi-connection application (simple web-crawler).
Based on previous prototype, follow links from original page until
pre-set depth saving all pages locally.
Max No of concurrent connections should be easily set from the GUI.
Deliverables:
   - Multi-threaded application
   - Dynamic (run-time) creation of multiple connection objects

Prototype 4

Multi-connection application using agents (advanced web-crawler).
Based on previous prototype, follows some links from original page
until pre-set depth saving all pages locally.
Max No of concurrent agents (connections) should be easily set from
the GUI.
Deliverables:
  - Multi-threaded application
  - Implementation of an 'agent' class
  - Dynamic (run-time) creation of multiple agents

Prototype 5

Simple search tool using agents
Based on previous prototype, this tool will start crawling web
pages looking for a set of keywords.
Deliverables:
  - Construction of a dynamic database containing all the URLs opened
    so far
  - Agent heuristics, for page relevance decision

Prototype 6

Meta-search tool using agents.
This major prototype will do a meta-search using various search-engines and
then uses agent technology to crawl the web for better hits.
Deliverables:
  - SEC (Search-Egine Components) hold info about external search egines
  - MSG (Meta-Search Generator) builds multiple queries using SEC plug-ins
  - Advanced Agent class, with built-in internet search techniques knowledge
    base

Release

Meta-search tool using agents & web-communities.
This final prototype will improve on the previous at the web-crawl stage.
It will examine and organise the hits database into web-communities, using
user feedback to control the communitie's weights.
Deliverables:
  - SEC (Search-Egine Components) hold info about external search egines
  - MSG (Meta-Search Generator) builds multiple queries using SEC plug-ins
  - Advanced Agent class, with built-in internet search techniques knowledge
    base
  - User-level adaptable GUI