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From: cderossi@Apple.COM (Christopher Derossi)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Macintosh One-Liners
Message-ID: <4492@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 30 Sep 89 05:36:11 GMT
References: <221@vsserv.scri.fsu.edu> <4452@internal.Apple.COM> <13877@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: cderossi@apple.com
Distribution: na
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 39

In article <13877@well.UUCP> wdh@well.UUCP (Bill Hofmann) writes:
>I think you are mistaken.  There was a discussion quite some time ago (at
>one of the Developer Conferences) about just this problem, and Darin Adler
>said that DTS was thinking about some way to solve the problem, but I haven't
>heard a peep.  The problem is bigger than it appears: aside from the issue
>of what to call it in English, what happens when you go to another country
>(I know, if they don't speak English... 8->).  

In a subsequent forum (another Developer's Conference? MacWorld? I don't
remember), Darin and DTS actually sanctioned a folder named "Preferences".
However, they never got around to writing a Technical Note, or publishing
this decision, so no one knows about it unless they were there.

The bigger issues (like international) are a problem, and they aren't. The
concept was that it was a good idea to put your settings, preferences, and
temporary documents into a folder anyway. And if everyone could agree on
a name and location for this folder, then you gain even more, but it isn't
required.

If you write your code to use a folder named Preferences if it's there, and
to create one of it isn't, then you're in good shape. Sure, when you localize
your product for another country, you may pick a different name for the folder 
than other programs did, but you'd be no worse off than if you were the only 
program using the Preferences folder.

DTS further recommends that you create your own folder within the Preferences
folder for your documents. That way you avoid potential conflicts, and
give the user some reasonable organization.


As far as a system-supported solution goes, it's certainly a reasonable
idea. We've talked about, we've tossed ideas back and forth, and we're
working on it. But no matter what, if anything, gets implemented in 
System 7.0, you're going to have to deal with a solution for the 6.0.x
world, too. And the Preferences folder works nicely.


Chris Derossi					      cderossi@apple.com
Blue Meanies, System Software