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From: broman@noscvax.UUCP (Vincent P. Broman)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.unix
Subject: Re: unix file system
Message-ID: <1036@noscvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Jul-85 12:18:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: noscvax.1036
Posted: Tue Jul 30 12:18:17 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Aug-85 06:34:42 EDT
References: <3287@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Lines: 26
Xref: watmath net.unix-wizards:14139 net.unix:5214

jcampbell wrote:
>                               From: Jon Campbell
>                                     Digital Equipment Corp.
>                                     Marlboro, MA
>                                     617-467-6876
>                                     DECnode:MRFORT::JCAMPBELL
>			              decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-mrfort!jcampbell
>
> 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.   More
> specifically: ... [recordsizes, formcontrol, formats, char set, etc]

The obvious solution is the one used by the loader -- put that description
in a header in the file.  It might be advisable to make the header printable
(even legible).  Programs in the fortran system need just open the
file and read the first n bytes to get the full scoop on how the file is
organized. The new "LPR" command needed by fortran users is merely a one-line
shell script piping your carriage control filter to lpr. etc, etc.

Let's keep all that mumbo-jumbo out of the operating system!


UUCP: ucbvax!sdcsvax!noscvax!broman	Vincent Broman
ARPA: broman@nosc			Naval Ocean Systems Center, code 632
Phone: (619) 225-2365			San Diego, CA 92152