Re: [GNOME VFS] Re: where to put tar storage object...

[Miguel de Icaza <miguel helixcode com>]

> gnome-vfs is also getting support for more and more cool stuff like
> NFS, SMB, digital cameras, ssh, etc, and continuing to duplicate all
> this seems wasteful.
> 
> Is there a good technical reason to write a whole new virtual
> filesystem instead of layering on top of the existing one?

For a storage backend you can always use something like
bonobo_storage_new ("gnome-vfs") and get away with life.

The main difference between the gnome-vfs, and monikers is that
monikers are used to implement an object-based name space, while the
gnome-vfs is a fine abstraction for naming files and directories.  The
moniker space goes well beyond this.

When Ettore, Nat and I designed the GNOME VFS in Paris Ettore had a
grander vision than Nat and I had.  Nat and I wanted exactly what the
GNOME VFS is: an asyncronous, pluggable virtual file system
implementation.  Ettore wanted something more general, something that
would implement an object name space.  And some of the design
decisions in the core of the gnome-vfs reflect some of this thinking,
but the API and the infrastructure was limited to handling files.

Various months later, we finally understood completely the moniker
system, and we realized that monikers were an object naming space, and
that if done correctly monikers would be able to implement Ettore's
initial vision for having an object-based naming space.

Take a look at bonobo/doc/Monikers to get a better understanding of
Monikers. 

But here is a small snippet:

@example
	 	     Unix Files 	           Monikers
	            -----------------------------------------------
Object naming:       path name                moniker string representation.
Binding function:    open(2)                  bonobo_get_object
Return value:        kernel file descriptor   Bonobo::Unknown CORBA reference
Binder:              Kernel VFS+each FS       bonobo_get_object+Bonobo::Moniker 
Persisting:          none                     Moniker::QI(Persist)

@example

Best wishes,
Miguel.