Message-Id: <199705060826.KAA22475@grendel.sylaba.poznan.pl>
Comments: Authenticated sender is <grendel AT hoth DOT amu DOT edu DOT pl>
From: "Mark Habersack" <grendel AT hoth DOT amu DOT edu DOT pl>
Organization: PPP (Pesticide Powered Pumpkins)
To: mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 10:27:24 +0100
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Subject: Re: Another look at FS notions
Reply-to: grendel AT hoth DOT amu DOT edu DOT pl
CC: opendos AT delorie DOT com
References: <cUobz8ew46tG092yn AT facstaff DOT wisc DOT edu>
In-reply-to: <Pine.LNX.3.95.970505224144.9545s-100000@capslock.com>
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Once upon a time (on  5 May 97 at 22:51) Mike A. Harris said:

> >     2.4) Suggestion for filesystem that would be able to
> >           use other OS's filesystems like the Mac's.
> 
> Yes, an IFS (installable filesystem) layer.  NOT the same as what
> is allready there, but a NEW layer which provides for services
> that do not currently exist in DOS.  The new services won't break
> old programs, and a name mangler (ala mach) will present LFN's
> and mixed case names to legacy apps for back-compatibility.
We could use Linux VFS specs here. They are well thought and shouldn't be 
hard to implement on DOS.

> > >  3) Suggestion to asscociate data files with programs
> >       (aka Windows)
> 
> Yes, 4DOS does this allready.  For example:
> 
> C:\> SET .WAV=C:\SB16\WPLAY.EXE
> C:\> CATSCRM.WAV
> 
> WPLAY V1.00 Press esc to stop playback....
> 
> (The above is a simulated example not a screenshot.
> 
> IMHO these associations belong in the command interpreter, NOT in
> the filesystem.  I can think of countless reasons why they
> shouldn't be in the filesystem, and not a single reason why not
> in the command processor.
I wouldn't use this approach. This allows for one association for a single 
extension. Yet I've seen several programs that use .txt extension for totally 
different purpose than to store ASCII text. A better way is to use registered 
applications tags in the dirent.

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