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From: ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.unix
Subject: Re: unix file system
Message-ID: <4053@alice.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 11:17:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: alice.4053
Posted: Fri Jul 26 11:17:20 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Jul-85 04:57:55 EDT
References: <3287@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 18
Xref: watmath net.unix-wizards:14065 net.unix:5160

> Some of us at Digital think we have found a basic problem with the  UNIX
> file  system  for FORTRAN.  The problem is that there is no place to put
> various kinds of information about  the  contents  of  the  file.

The place to put information about the contents of the file
is in the file itself.

If you are unmoved by that philosophical argument, consider this:

If you expand Unix files to include additional information that is
not really part of the file, will that information be copied automatically
if you use "cp" to copy the file?  Any answer causes problems.

If the answer is "no," the information isn't really useful.
If it is "yes," then you must rewrite "cp."  You must also rewrite
"cat," because I can copy a file by saying      cat a >b .  You will
find that you must also rewrite dozens of other commands, as well
as writing many new ones.