Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!midway!quads.uchicago.edu!jcav From: jcav@quads.uchicago.edu (john cavallino) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: Standard File and Working directories... Message-ID: <1991Jun25.173942.16688@midway.uchicago.edu> Date: 25 Jun 91 17:39:42 GMT References: Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (NewsMistress) Organization: University of Chicago Lines: 19 In article chuck@brain.uucp writes: >Given the raft of Tech Notes on the subject, and the general noise concerning >them, I get the impression that Working Directories have fallen from grace. >Do they serve a purpose anymore? Why would I ever use one? (This IS a serious >question.) Whose idea were they anyway? (NOT a serious question.) Working Directories are an MFS-compatibility device. They are there so that programs that used the MFS Standard File would still run correctly. Under MFS, a volume refNum and a filename uniquely specified a given file. Under HFS, you need a directory ID in addition. Standard File creates and returns a working directory refNum in place of the volume refNum if the user chose a file in a folder, thus allowing programs that don't know about directory IDs to successfully open the file. -- John Cavallino | EMail: jcav@midway.uchicago.edu University of Chicago Hospitals | USMail: 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Box 145 Office of Facilities Management | Chicago, IL 60637 B0 f++ c+ g+ k s+(+) e+ h- pv (qv) | Telephone: 312-702-6900