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From: cunniff@hpfclq.HP.COM (Ross Cunniff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Telling Workbench about new icons
Message-ID: <4230010@hpfclq.HP.COM>
Date: Wed, 25-Nov-87 12:40:58 EST
Article-I.D.: hpfclq.4230010
Posted: Wed Nov 25 12:40:58 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 3-Dec-87 06:41:37 EST
References: <1076@sugar.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard
Lines: 32

A better way to speed up the display of icons in a newly opened
directory would be to do one of the following:

	1.  Add a file called, oh, .info.dir, that contains a
	    list of the names of all of the .info files in
	    that directory.  This would eliminate the search
	    through the directory's hash table, and consequently
	    speed up the workbench.

Or:
	2.  Completely restructure the Workbench and the info
	    library, such that .info files are all kept in one
	    (huge) file; this would eliminate *ALL* directory
	    searching, as well as potentially reducing the amount
	    of disk space required (objects with the same icon
	    image need not have separate copies of the image data;
	    there is far less 'unused portion of a block' overhead).

The first option has the advantage that it is more compatible with
the current set of tools (ie IconEd); and the documentation and user
habits don't have to be changed drastically.  The second option is
*very* different; it could be made somewhat more compatible by
still having the tools, etc. use the .info files, but adding an
option to the Workbench menu to "merge icons".

Anybody up to hacking HackBench to do one of the above?


				Ross Cunniff
				Hewlett-Packard System Software Operation
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