Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!necntc!linus!mbunix!eachus
From: eachus@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Robert Eachus)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: The 1001 Paths
Message-ID: <28112@linus.UUCP>
Date: 30 Mar 88 23:03:46 GMT
References: <4587@garfield.UUCP> <5489@well.UUCP> <850@nuchat.UUCP> <819@sandino.quintus.UUCP>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, Mass.
Lines: 34
Keywords: open path
Summary: You are getting there...


     I think  I now see  how this should,  can, and needs  to be done.
Someone who understands devices should write it, and  I all want is an
alpha copy...

     Let us suppose you create  a device PATH: which uses path.driver.
This  driver knows how  to parse a  create  command of some complexity
(which probably is done  by aREXX) but reads and  writes to the device
are "turned around" and actually sent  to the appropriate device. What
do we get?

     A device that for "normal"  uses (with the possible  exception of
makedir)  looks and  acts  like a  real disk  drive.  If makedir needs
replacing,  it is  because  you  want  a new  version  which  supplies
additional options, not to replace the AmigaDOS file system routines.

     A tool, interface, backdoor  (choose your  term) which allows you
to set  up arbitrary paths  with  different conditions such  as  "only
check  this directory if the  disk is present"  or "create directories
here first".

     A shining  example  of the  whole idea  behind  the ARP   and IPC
projects: compatibly extending the AmigaDOS environment  in a way that
allows existing software to use the new functionality.

     If anyone wants  to tackle this I'll  be glad  to  help develop a
grammer for the command interface, but I don't have the  time to do it
myself. Send me mail or look for  me at the  next BCS Amiga Developers
meeting.

					Robert I. Eachus

with STANDARD_DISCLAIMER;
use  STANDARD_DISCLAIMER;
function MESSAGE (TEXT: in CLEVER_IDEAS) return BETTER_IDEAS is...