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From: peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Re: Re: AmigaDos...
Message-ID: <654@baylor.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-May-86 03:01:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: baylor.654
Posted: Thu May 15 03:01:22 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 18-May-86 12:28:29 EDT
References: <1076@h-sc1.UUCP> <160@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> <636@baylor.UUCP> <1134@amiga.amiga.UUCP>
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Organization: The Power Elite, Houston, TX
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> In article <636@baylor.UUCP> peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva) writes:
> >> Cheap directories are important on a small-disk machine.  And at least this
> >> method allows for essentially unlimited directory sizes, unlike other DOS
> >> systems popular on microcomputers today.
> >
> >I don't know of any DOS that doesn't allow unlimited directory sizes, [...]
> 	Apple-][ DOS (not Prodos), TRS-DOS, CP/M, MS-DOS (setable, but finite)

OK, I don't know any serious DOS that allows (not even supports) multitasking
that doesn't allow infinite directory sizes. MS-DOS directories, other than
the root directory, can grow like any other file to any size you want. The
other DOS-es you mention are jokes... (so is MS-DOS, really).

The real competitors of AmigaDOS, and what you should be comparing it with,
are the likes of UNIX and OS/9.

And UNIX directories are just as cheap as yours. As any number of people
have mentioned: you have to put the file name *somewhere*.

> >I do think that giving each icon a seperate file is a mistake, since it makes
> >folder displays unbearable slow. Why not do what the Integrated Solutions
> >system does (more or less) and put all the icons in a folder in a single file
> >in that directory?
> 	One reason might be that you could not just use CLI file copies
> to move your files arround.  The copy program(s) would have to keep track
> of and update (insert, change, delete) the Icon file for every file copy.

They have to keep track of the .info files, don't they? You mean you have to
go back & move the .info files as well? And then change them with your .info
editor if you changed the file name?

Hey... the Amiga is a great machine, and I lust after it. I just think that
there are several places in the system where you didn't really look at the
wealth of existing solutions to a problem like "how do I find a file" before
doing it your own way. Since the O/S interface and implementation seem to be
fairly loosely coupled it should be possible to change things like this
without breaking existing software. So why not just fix it and have done
with it, instead of making excuses? Just putting the filename in the
directory should do wonders for the speed of icon display...
-- 
-- Peter da Silva
-- UUCP: ...!shell!{baylor,graffiti}!peter; MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076