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From: sho@gibbs.physics.purdue.edu (Sho Kuwamoto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: De-macification of the Amiga (Re: The Amiga's Future)
Message-ID: <5328@dirac.physics.purdue.edu>
Date: 20 Jun 91 20:15:59 GMT
References: <1991Jun19.000825.23509@sugar.hackercorp.com> <72@ryptyde.UUCP> <1991Jun20.180421.22074@Sugar.NeoSoft.com>
Sender: news@dirac.physics.purdue.edu
Organization: Purdue Univ. Physics Dept, W.Lafayette, IN
Lines: 38

In article <1991Jun20.180421.22074@Sugar.NeoSoft.com> peter@Sugar.NeoSoft.com (Peter da Silva) writes:
>In article <72@ryptyde.UUCP> dant@ryptyde.UUCP (Daniel Tracy) writes:
>> I meant that it's impossible for the Workbench to know what types of files
>> another app can open (unless more than one file can be created as a
>> reference to each file?), and thus easily determine what can be dropped on
>> what.
>
>Why should the Workbench know that? Just kick off the program and let it
>decide if it likes what it sees.

On the mac, the OS gives visual feedback to let you know when
something will be dropped into something else.  When moving a file
into a folder, the folder lights up when the file is positioned
correctly.  When dragging a file into the trash, the trash can lights
up when the file has been positioned correctly.  In the same way, the
program's icon lights up, but only if the file type is something the
program can handle.  This may seem like a minute detail, but it's
these many minute details which add up to a user interface.  In this
case, it's nice to have immediate visual feedback about whether the
program will accept your file or not.

This is just a nicety.  There is no reason that it could not work as
you suggest.

>Nonsense. I'll stick by this argument: gratuitous incompatibilities like
>multiple-forked files or files with special types should not be used lightly
>[...]
>And none of it is necessary... any of these "features" can be implemented
>transparently at an application level without locking people into their own
>little worlds.

I am a mac enthusiast, and I agree.  I like resources a lot, but
resources should be built on top of the file system, not into the file
system. 

-Sho
-- 
sho@physics.purdue.edu