2 files changed, 25 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

M PLAN
M employer.py

@@ 9,6 9,9 @@ a job is:
 server protocol:
 	case-insensitive commands separated by \n
 	on error, send back '?', else send back 'OKAY'
+	commands which allow [job id] or [for job id] to be omitted
+	will operate implicitly on the last-mentioned job, or error if
+	there is none
 
 server verbs:
 	- ''


@@ 30,11 33,14 @@ server verbs:
 	- META [FOR JOB id] IS
 		get metadata for id as key: value lines, terminated with a blank line
 	- META key [FOR JOB id] IS value?
-		set/get id.key
-	- TAKE JOB id?
+		set/get id.key. nil is returned as a blank line.
+	- META key [FOR JOB id] CLEAR
+		clear a metadata key
+
+	- TAKE [JOB id]
 		mark a job as taken, record timestamp
-		if n is unset, pick the next available job and send it
-		back
+	- TAKE JOB
+		take the first available job. if none is available, error.
 	- MARK [JOB n] AS marking
 		mark a job as complete, record timestamp
 	- CANCEL [JOB n]

@@ 195,12 195,26 @@ async def handle_line(topic, tokens, line, reader, writer) -> int:
 			jobs[topic][key] = find_val_in_line(line)
 		case ['meta', key, 'is', *_]:
 			jobs[topic][key] = find_val_in_line(line)
+
+		case ['meta', key, 'for', 'job', int(topic), 'clear']:
+			del jobs[topic][key]
+		case ['meta', key, 'clear']:
+			del jobs[topic][key]
 		
 		case ['take', 'job', int(topic)]:
 			jobs[topic].take()
-		case ['take', 'job']:
+		case ['take']:
 			jobs[topic].take()
 		
+		case ['take', 'job']:
+			try:
+				avail = next(jobs['available'])
+				avail.take()
+				topic = avail.jid
+				writer.write(f'{topic}\n'.encode())
+			except StopIteration:
+				raise ValueError('no new jobs')
+		
 		case ['mark', 'job', int(topic), 'as', str(marking)]:
 			jobs[topic].mark(marking)
 		case ['mark', 'as', str(marking)]: