Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!microsoft!w-edwinh
From: w-edwinh@microsoft.UUCP (Edwin Hoogerbeets)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Resident device (was Re: Hooks and ladders)
Keywords: Spam
Message-ID: <9313@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 4 Dec 89 23:46:46 GMT
References: <4299@nigel.udel.EDU> <128072@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <9142@microsoft.UUCP> <11330@dasys1.UUCP>
Reply-To: w-edwinh@microsoft.UUCP (Edwin Hoogerbeets)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 37

In article <11330@dasys1.UUCP> rodd@dasys1.UUCP (Rod Dorman) writes:
>In article <9142@microsoft.UUCP> w-edwinh@microsoft.UUCP (Edwin Hoogerbeets) writes:
>> ...  The code to format a disk is in the Format program itself.
>> ...
>>Would it not be more object oriented, then, to include the format code
>>*with* the file system handler code?
>Two thoughts come to mind on this subject:
>1)  This will inflate the size of the handler for an action that for
>things like hard disks will seldom be used.

You could easily have the handler LoadSeg() an "l:FFS-Validator" or an
"l:MSDOS-Validator" when it needs it and remove it later. Then, it
wouldn't be hanging around in memory when it isn't used, and still be
called from the handler.

To install a file system in this scenario, you copy l:new-handler,
l:new-validator, devs:new.device (if necessary), and put something in
your mountlist. And format will work with it.

>2)  How will the format program be "enhanced" to recognize additional
>file system selection keywords beyond FFS and NOFFS (e.g. MSDOS40 for
>40-tracks or MSDOS80 for 80-tracks) or should that be determined
>strictly by mountlist entries?

Yes, I think so.  One mountlist entry, one virtual device (and justice
for all ;-).  You can specify 40 or 80 tracks with the Low and
HighCylinder parameters in the mountlist.  Or you can specify "options"
by having a different device name (ms40: vs.  ms80:). 

Conman, for example, acts differently went you mount it as pip: or as
something else.

Someone (I think it was Dave Haynie) said that FFS and NOFFS are going
away in 1.4 anyways, since the file system can be determined from the
device name. 

Edwin