Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!alexis
From: alexis@dasys1.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: 'Virtual' Folders - bad idea!!
Message-ID: <5151@dasys1.UUCP>
Date: 24 Jun 88 09:40:54 GMT
References: <8806161351.AA09732@decwrl.dec.com> <3216@polyslo.UUCP> <3818@saturn.ucsc.edu> <12530@apple.Apple.COM> <2421@cxsea.UUCP>
Reply-To: alexis@dasys1.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Lines: 63


ine eater still exist?]

The concept of the path is an elegant solution to the generic problem of how to
store and categorize files. In the Mac's case, it needs only one or two
alterations to really provide an intuitive, useful, and *COMPATIBLE* solution
to the problem that you, I, and everyone's uncle Harry is having with organizing
files on your typical average 780 MB disk...

First, the poor man's search path (the System Folder) must remain in some form
in order to provide compatibility with current systems. This doesn't limit our
options at all; just keep the System Folder as the first directory in the
search path. Furthermore, there should be two options available through the
control panel:
1) Always keep all subdirectories of the System File in the Search Path
2) Move the System File to the back of the Path instead of the Front

The first option is powerful and important; the second could be dispensed with
if Apple deemed it to confusing (it's not, but who knows about their H.I.G.?)

There is one possible extension of the File System which would make this a much
more powerful solution: Along with the "Blessed Folder", we get the "Configur-
ation Folder". It is a folder that is set to the System Folder at first bootup,
for the sake of novice users, but can be pointed anywhere (including a
subdirectory of the System Folder, which is probably where I'd put it.) It would
be provided to applications at their request, so it would be transparent to
applications without knowledge of this feature. This extension provides 100%
compatibility with current programs and wimpy-users (excuse me... novices :-)
without sacrificing any elegance or power. It can be set along with the two
options mentioned above in one control panel device. (Now those CDEVs were a
damn good idea!!)

I would like to point out that a "Configuration Folder" is especially useful
in a multi-user environment. If we ever get to the point where we want many
people booting out of the same System Folder (I think we will), it will be an
absolute necessity.

One thing I haven't seen discussed is the actual meaning of the word "Path".
In MS-DOS (yuck) the Path is only used to search for executables (and batch
files). Dos 3.10 and higher provide a command called 'Append' which is really
a path for all types of files. In the Mac's File System, DOS's concept of PATH
doesn't make a whole lot of sense, since 98% of the time the need for finding
executables is while using the finder, which has something better than a path:
the Desktop File (that's assuming that Apple fixes it, as they did with the
Desktop Manager INIT under AppleShare). Therefore I feel strongly that any
provision for a path setting should work for all types of files.

I agree totally with Larry Rosenstein's statement that two types of folders
would be a real mess. Highly counterintuitive, even to the non-wimps! The last
thing we should do is perpetuate the disaster that was MFS. (This is not a
criticism of the designers of MFS, but hindsight provides a powerful indictment
of that flat file system- or any flat file system, for that matter).

/Alexis
p.s. Maybe the configuration folder should be called the "Preferences Folder",
     in deference to all the programs which call their settings options
     "Preferences". Makes for a _Standard_ User Interface. (Note the caps :-)
/a
-- 
Alexis Rosen                       {allegra,philabs,cmcl2}!phri\
Writing from                       {bellcore,harpo,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!alexis
The Big Electric Cat                  {portal,well,sun}!hoptoad/
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