Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!pasteur!zooey.Berkeley.EDU!c162-fe
From: c162-fe@zooey.Berkeley.EDU (Jonathan Dubman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Ban the Cloud!
Message-ID: <882@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu>
Date: 19 Feb 88 19:01:34 GMT
Sender: news@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu
Reply-To: c162-fe@zooey.Berkeley.EDU (Jonathan Dubman)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 40

#define CONSTRUCTIVE FLAME

Go figure-
	The Amiga is multitasking.
	Workbench is single tasking.

Try opening a disk drawer.  One drive spins for a while.  On the Amiga, it is a
VERY long while with some drawers, and the user is forced to BUSY WAIT while
watching a ZZ-cloud.  (Is it done yet?  No, move the screen up and down a few
times, move a couple of windows to pass the time.  Is it done yet?)

In my opinion, the WB software is COPPING OUT.  Deleting, snapshotting, copying-
all these and more bring up the dreaded cloud.

WRONG SOLUTION:  Don't put all .info files in one .info file.  That makes it
hard to manipulate icons (like on the Mac.)  Leave it to the fast file system
(I think) to store directories in a reasonable structure so we can get them
in a reasonable amount of time.

RIGHT SOLUTION:  Modify the workbench program.  Total rewrite unnecessary.

	Let WB fork out into different tasks whenever a drawer is opened,
		files are SNAPSHOTTED, DELETED, etc.  And while we are at it,
	Add ability for name-based directory listings sorted alphabetically,
		by date, etc. like on the Mac.
	Add numerous conveniences like SELECT ALL within a drawer, etc.  for
		snapshotting.  Or, better yet, a SNAPSHOT WHOLE DRAWER option.
	Provide the same programmer interface so nothing breaks.
	While we are at it, provide a programmer interface.

	In short, look for every call to SetZZCloud() in Workbench and replace
	it with CreateProc() and the appropriate code.

If you agree, put this bumper sticker on your .signature.

	*** BAN THE CLOUD ***

Or just honk if you have any comments.

	*&(Jonathan Dubman)