Re: Files with a substructre should be directories.

"Friedrich W. H. Kossebau" schrieb:
> 
> Sven Niedner schrieb:
> >
> > Am Sonntag 26 Mai 2002 15:38 schrieb Friedrich W. H. Kossebau:
> > > > [NeXT Step]
> > > Great. Thanks for this information. So there is a reference to use when
> > > argumenting for this approach :)
> >
> > The point is: There are a lot of data formats that actually  contain meta
> > data. You quote mp3 as one example. This approach in incompatible with the "a
> > directory is a file" concept.
> 
> Yes. So one has to introduce a compatibility-layer :)
> On "our new" system these "conventionell" formats are not used. If we
> have to interact with outer systems that use those formats the data will
> be sent through the layer and transformed:
> 
> Example mp3:
> --------------
> our system: a mp3 file is a directory with
> - a file of type mp3-rawstream named "stream"
> - a file "title" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "artist" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "style" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "album" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "track" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "year" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "copyright" of mimetype text/string
> - a file "comment" of whatever mimetype.
> One could even extend this "format" and add a file "icon" or whatever, 

perhaps a universal id tag for everlasting reference.

Even better: 

If one has a lot of mp3-files from the same artist, each file "artist"
could be linked to the same inode, sharing this data. Less storage
needed, consistent naming over all mp3-files, one correction applies to
all... same with album, copyright, etc.

Well, no idea, where this could be of any need for other data /file
types. But it _is_ possible.

Looks like a "make-your-own-database" for beginners...

Friedrich