Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!quintus!pds
From: pds@quintus.UUCP (Peter Schachte)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Resources, sets, and abstract datatypes (was ...cross-post from BIX)
Message-ID: <957@sandino.quintus.UUCP>
Date: 10 May 88 22:07:10 GMT
References: <5920@well.UUCP>
Organization: Quintus Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA
Lines: 44

In article <5920@well.UUCP>, ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes:
> 	This is David Joiner's (talin @ BIX) posting on BIX regarding Amiga
> "resources".
[ lots of stuff left out]
>    I feel it is IMPORTANT that set files be able to store code fragments.
> This is because future intuitions will have the ability to have customized
> 'handlers' for windows/menus/gadgets, which  should be SHARABLE between
> applications.

Also, programmers should be able to write 'handlers' for their own types
of datastructures, e.g., pictures, animations, spreadsheets, etc.  I
think this omission is one of the biggest flaws of IFF:  I can define
an IFF form for, say, a spreadsheet, but any application that wants to
be able to handle the data has to have my code linked in.

What would be really good, and would put the Amiga way in front of the
Mac in terms of easy integration of programs is the ability to define
abstract datatypes (or call them classes, sets, resources, whatever you
like; the important thing is that they include code) that live in some
permanent place (DEVS:  seems like a reasonable place), are loaded and
unloaded as needed, and can be shared between applications.  In
addition, it is important that programs have some easy way to create
instances of these datatypes, read and write them from/to files, display
them on screen or printer (where this is appropriate).

For example, my word processor ought to be able to copy or paste in
ANYTHING that "knows how to" display itself on screen and printer, and
read and write itself to a file.  And as the writer of the WP, I
wouldn't have to know ANYTHING about the thing being inserted.  So a
user of my WP could buy the latest fancy chart program and include
a pie chart it generates in his documents, even though I, as author of
the WP, never thought of putting such charts in a document.

Sorry if I'm being verbose, and/or stating what everyone else is
already thinking.  Matt and David, is this where you're heading?  Is
there anything about what I'm suggesting that is more difficult than
what you had in mind?  Any gaping flaws?

I hope someone who has BIX access will pass this on to David Joiner
(Leo?).  Thanks.
-- 
-Peter Schachte
pds@quintus.uucp
...!sun!quintus!pds