Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!gvgpsa!treehouse!andyp
From: andyp@treehouse.UUCP (Andy Peterman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Desktop Manager ramblings
Message-ID: <906@treehouse.UUCP>
Date: 29 May 91 20:48:29 GMT
References: <1991May29.175613.14352@crash.cts.com>
Organization: The Treehouse
Lines: 22

In article <1991May29.175613.14352@crash.cts.com> mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com (Morgan Davis) writes:
>Or, and this is what my original message was about, you could use the
>DesktopDB file (which is some kind of binary tree -- the key to QUICKLY
>accessing information on all files and folders on a volume).  If some
>MacGenius spent a while browsing through its contents, perhaps he or she
>could document its structure -- and we could all benefit from being able
>to *read* through it.  I'm not interested in modifying it at all.

I believe the DesktopDB file format is a B-Tree that could be accessed
by the not-yet-supported B-Tree Manager.  This manager, which has been
internally used in the HFS system for years, was announced two years ago
as being part of the 7.0 release, but was one of the casualtys that
didn't make it.  I asked one of the Apple people at the Dev. Conf. a few
years ago about whether one could use the B-Tree manager to scan the
desktop for all applications or icons and his reply was "Please don't!".
I think they want to keep its format private so they can diddle with it
in the future (if they already haven't).  Oh well...

-- 
Andy Peterman                       |   Opinions expressed
treehouse!andyp@gvgpsa.gvg.tek.com  | are definitely those of
(916) 273-4569                      |      my employer!