Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!NISC.SRI.COM!cwilson
From: cwilson@NISC.SRI.COM (Chan Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: FST's
Message-ID: <10697@fs2.NISC.SRI.COM>
Date: 9 Dec 89 09:18:47 GMT
References: <2634.cortland.info-apple@pro-houston> <5205@internal.Apple.COM> <3762@puff.cs.wisc.edu> <2200@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP>
Reply-To: cwilson@NISC.SRI.COM (Chan Wilson)
Organization: Network Info Systems Ctr., SRI Intl., Menlo Park, CA.
Lines: 53

In article <2200@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> steven@enel.UCalgary.ca (Steven Leikeim) writes:
>In article <3762@puff.cs.wisc.edu> blochowi@rt3.cs.wisc.edu (Jason Blochowiak) writes:
>>In article <5205@internal.Apple.COM> farrier@Apple.COM (Cary Farrier) writes:
>>>	*Using* an FST is _not_ the same as *writing* an FST!  One of the
>>>intracacies of creating an FST involves how closely it interacts with
>>>the rest of the OS.  Sometimes these details change in an OS revision.  When
>>>this happens, we can update the FSTs, but we can't update a 3d party FST.
>>
>>	If everything were "the way it should be" GS/OS and the FSTs wouldn't
>>be interdependent like they (apparently) are. 

Humph.  They have to be interdependent.  Sure, you can set up a nice
stable area for device drivers to use, and not change it, but
eventually you're going to run into walls.  Look, it's really simple.
Whenever you have a new, updated version of the OS, you make damned
sure your 3rd party people get a pre-release copy.  If the 3rd party
is at all concerned with their market share, they'll make damned sure
their device driver works (and ships?) with the new OS.  

A concept I'd like to see appear at Apple would be the inclusion of a
'contrib' disk or two.  Things like Shrinkit, BinScii (updated, that
is. Not the garish thing it is), Kermit, Zlink, what have you.  Don't
tell them to go down to the local dealer-- your customer may be in
Russia. Package it with the Apple.  Apple's lawyers have the concept
of "We take no responsibility for this" down pat, so...

>>Responsible for them, etc. If the interaction were nice and neat (not an
>>impossibility), then 3rd party FSTs would become completely possible.

Well, if GS/OS was documented, that would help.  But then again,
that's equivilant to getting Unix source.  But, entry points/system
calls would be usefull.

>                               Currently GS/OS - ProDOS FST does not
>differentiate between the files "testing", "Testing", "TESTING" or even
>"TeStInG". Clearly, there may be a problem here in dealing with file 
>systems where the file names above refer to 4 different files.

Hmm. I think that's a restriction on the ProDos FST.  Frankly, I'd
like to see a HFS FST, so I can format a drive in HFS and use spaces,
option-letters, and be descriptive.  

>>      Jason Blochowiak - blochowi@garfield.cs.wisc.edu or jason@madnix.uucp

>Steven Leikeim                        |

'lil old me:

................
Chan Wilson -- cwilson@nisc.sri.com <or> cwilson@nic.ddn.mil
'A computer operator at SRI International'  
"I think, therefore...uh...I should be?"
...UUCP/GS in research phase. More to come...