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From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: File Requesters
Keywords: REENTRANT FILE REQUESTERS
Message-ID: <103440@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 5 May 89 23:42:11 GMT
References: <6342@ardent.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Distribution: na
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 39

In article <6342@ardent.UUCP> rap@rap.ardent.com (Rob Peck) writes:
>         ...  Suggest that each task pass a pointer to a data
>structure of some kind similar to this:

You were doing great up until right here. Having designed a file requester
from scratch I thought about many of the same issues. The point I kept 
coming back to was :
	Q) What does a file requester replace ?
	A) A text exchange between user/program which requests a 
	   a filename and returns it.

This is a very simple operation. And to be effective should stay simple. 
Generally, some guidelines I had considered when looking at this :
	o Colors/Layout - There are two choices here, Tool Compatibile
		so that the requester has the same "look" as the rest
		of the tool, or User Preferred which is set up via some
		preferences mechanisim.

		The second case implies an out of band interface to the
		users preferences.

	o No clicking/sliding required. What we are replacing is :
		"enter filename :" with a sophisticated file selection`
		service. We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that 
		this original technique was quite functional. 

	o No worries about resource/directory/memory tracking. Let 
		the requester worry about that for me.

My ideal interface is :

	FileLock = Request("Prompt", DirLock, Access_mode);

Everything else should be handled inside the requester.

--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"A most excellent barbarian ... Genghis Kahn!"