Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac.programmer:15282 comp.sys.mac.system:505
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!umich!yale!cmcl2!panix!alexis
From: alexis@panix.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: Changing the 10 open files limit - good idea?
Message-ID: <727@panix.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jun 90 21:53:40 GMT
References: <1990Jun11.195357.1886@vaxa.uwa.oz>
Reply-To: alexis@panix.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Organization: PANIX - Public Access Computer Systems of NY
Lines: 23


Actually, the standard limit is 40 open files. The number in the boot blocks is
multiplied by four to get the real number.

As for changing this number, there is no reason not to. Several programs, such
as Fedit and Suitcase, do so. It consumes a very small amount of memory and
should not cause any problems. (Of course, there's always that one-in-a-
thousand case where you're running with two free bytes in the system heap. In
that case, upping the number of files will blow up your mac. This will probably
never happen to you, but you could always give the system heap a couple of
extra K to make sure this doesn't happen.)

When System 7 arrives, this will no longer be a problem, as the data structures
required for opening files will be allocated dynamically.

If you're going to integrate this into a Foxbase app, the smartest thing to do
is write an XCMD that alters the open-files value (and maybe the system heap)
if it's not already set high enough, and then reboots. Your users won't know
what you're talking about if you ask them permission, and this really can't
hurt them. I would mention this somewhere in the docs, though.

Alexis Rosen
apple!panix!alexis