Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 04:40:02 -0500 (EST)
From: "Mike A. Harris" <mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca>
Reply-To: "Mike A. Harris" <mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca>
To: evand AT scn DOT org
cc: OpenDOS Mailing List <opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net>
Subject: Re: [opendos] Standard Directories (was: FSSTND)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.OSF.3.95.970315113345.23745A-100000@unicorn.it.wsu.edu>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.970319043719.12128D-100000@capslock.com>
Organization: Total disorganization.
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Sat, 15 Mar 1997, Evan Dickinson wrote:

> > Yes, I am suggesting placing all paths in paths.dir for a couple reasons.
> > New users, they have lots of trouble with paths five or more directories
> > deep and this way the new user can be told,
> > print out paths.dir and you'll have all existing paths in ffront of you.
> > An engineering student from Bengal messed up the computer of a good friend 
> > I have who is a very new user and did it in precisely that way.
> > Beyond this, there are security concerns.
> > If paths.dir were run through the rcs utilities any time
> > any software changed path structure either by adding or deleting paths
> > this could be quickly bought to the user's attention.
> > Beyond that, perhaps lines with # on them or lines that have something
> > else on them followed by # could also hold comments about file directory
> > content left by
> > the user.
> > If this structure were extended to files.dir which documented files in the
> > same way, opendos would come closer to 4dos at very little cost.
> 
> It would also help to read these comments outside the file.  So if I had
> the line:
> 
> c:\batch #Directory for storing batch files.
> 
> I could use a command like:
> 
> c:\batch>dirinfo
> 
> and get:
> 
> Directory for storing batch files.
> 
> Also, dirinfo should accept a path name so:
> 
> c:\>dirinfo c:\batch
> 
> would return as above.

Just use 4DOS. 4DOS supports a feature called "descriptions"
which allows you to use the DESCRIBE command to give ANY file a
description.  The descriptions are held in each directory in a
hidden file called "DESCRIPT.ION".  A directory listing appears
similar to a COMMAND.COM dir listing but with the descriptions
appearing on the right hand side of the screen.  The descriptions
can be up to 512 bytes long.  It is very useful.  Hopefully this
feature will be added to COMMAND.COM when the sources are
released.


Mike A. Harris        |             http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris
Computer Consultant   |                  Coming soon: dynamic-IP-freedom...
My dynamic address: http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris/ip-address.html
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