Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site boring.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!mcvax!boring!guido From: guido@boring.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro.mac Subject: Peeking and poking in the DeskTop (Re: Delphi Digest Volume 1 Issue 2) Message-ID: <6671@boring.UUCP> Date: Fri, 1-Nov-85 13:52:13 EST Article-I.D.: boring.6671 Posted: Fri Nov 1 13:52:13 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 12:35:05 EST References: <4137@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Reply-To: guido@mcvax.UUCP (Guido van Rossum) Organization: "Stamp Out BASIC" Committee, CWI, Amsterdam Lines: 21 Summary: watch out with the use of undocumented features! Apparently-To: rnews@mcvax.LOCAL The discussion on the format of FOBJ resources in the DeskTop was really interesting. However I think that Apple has a good reason why it does not reveal anything about this in I.M. or elsewhere. Things like this are considered to be internal to the Finder (unlike the details of the file system, which is desribed in terms of ToolBox calls). The Finder has to change when the tree-like file system is introduced, and then all applications that depend on creation of folders etc. will stop working (or crash the system, or destroy disks). It may be fun to play with these things, but I would not want to buy an application or Desk Accessory that relies on them. The storage of the GetInfo text is another of those undocumented points. It was hashed out completely in net.micro.mac a while ago, and it turns out to be a terrible hack where a resource id is computed as a hash function of the file name, with no provisions for collisions! Guido van Rossum, CWI, Amsterdam (guido@mcvax.UUCP) PS I did like the rest of the Delphi digests. Keep them coming! PPS Could we stop the discussion about Apple vs. DRI?