Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!ames!claris!apple!lsr
From: lsr@Apple.COM (Larry Rosenstein)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: 'Virtual' Folders - good idea!!
Message-ID: <12530@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 20 Jun 88 19:33:24 GMT
References: <8806161351.AA09732@decwrl.dec.com> <3216@polyslo.UUCP> <3818@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Reply-To: lsr@apple.apple.com (Larry Rosenstein)
Organization: Advanced Technology Group, Apple Computer
Lines: 59

In article <3818@saturn.ucsc.edu> gagaku@ucscd.UCSC.EDU (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes:
>Since my original posting of this idea, I've seen a bunch of follow-ups
>generally enthusiastic, but nothing from programmers or Apple folks as
>to whether the concept is even feasible within the structure of the Mac
>System.  Any ideas on this?

Since I don't have to implement any changes to the System, I guess I will
comment.  :->

The idea of "virtual folders" technicay possible, since it is done on MFS
systems.  I don't think it would be such a good idea from the user interface
point of view.  One would end up with 2 ways of organizing files that have
subtle differences.  Even if you make the virtual folder icons look
different, the concepts would still be the same (a way to categorize files).

In particular, you cannot have 2 files in different "virtual folders" with
the same name.  You can do this for "real" folders.  This is likely to be
confusing when the user sees the message "Replace file(s) with the same
name?" because a file in some totally different virtual folder (at any
depth!) happened to have the same name.

Also realize that since these folders are constructed by the Finder, virtual
folders would not be seen by any other programs (Std File, DiskTop, etc.).
Also, recall that folder structure on MFS disks was lost when the desktop
file was rebuilt.  (Some of these problems might be corrected by changing
the file system, but it seems strange to add two kinds of directories to a
file system.)

Finally, using virtual folders instead of "real" folders will slow the
system, since one of the values of HFS was reducing the number of files in
each subdirectory.  Even though the icons would not be seen, the files would
still be in the subdirectory, and the Finder would still have to determine
if they were in the virtual folder or not.

I think adding virtual folders is a hasty reaction to some problems with the
Macintosh system.  It would be better to write down what the problems are,
and think about a cleaner solution.

For example, one problem is the proliferation of cdevs, INIT, etc. in the
System folder.  As was pointed out, it would be simpler and cleaner to
modify the System to search for these things in a subfolder.  If this change
would solve 90% of the problems, then it would make more sense than adding
virtual folders and their possible complexity.

>Rather than compiling an extensive wish list of other add-ins, perhaps if all
>of you who think this might be a good idea would e-mail me your comments, I
>could compile them and forward to the Apple Folks.

This is always a useful thing to do, whether the topic is "virtual folders"
or not.  One can never guarantee that the suggestions will be adopted, but
it never hurts.



-- 
		 Larry Rosenstein,  Object Specialist
 Apple Computer, Inc.  20525 Mariani Ave, MS 27-AJ  Cupertino, CA 95014
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