Re: Universal binary file format

[Damien Diederen <dash linuxbe org>]

Hello !

On Tue, Apr 18, 2000 at 01:27:16PM +0200, Lauris Kaplinski wrote:
> 
> Hello,

[clip] 
> - I personally do not like the format of meta buffer - it is too
> binary-only. If something in the file is screwed up (example: new version
> of metafile is used with older replay software) things will end with error
> message without any reasonable way to repair anything.
> 
> Example: I tried to use metafile for temporary rendering - but
> unfortunately it refuses to render before buffer is closed. Marking buffer
> length without closing ended with 'serious metafile corruption' error.
> 
> So I have idea:
> If we do not want to use xml (for good reasons, because xml file size can
> change (CR/LF problems etc.) and this will make intended fast
> page-scanning impossible) - there was wonderful semi-standard way for
> binary files in Amiga (AIFF? IFF?). What if to reimplement GnomePrintMeta
> buffer something like:

I have an idea, too (hold on) :

Adobe PostScript with DSC (Document Structuring Conventions) comments. It
works, it works well (GV/GGV), it is reasonably fast (and could be vastly
improved by additional 'indexing' comments : '%%GPNextPageOffset: 32551'),
and did I mention that it works very well ?

Am I the only one to have the impression that we are trying to reinvent
the wheel ? This would rock if used with a Libart-based modular GhostScript.

Just my two cents ;)

[clip] 
> Comments? Thoughts? Flames?
> 
> Lauris

Cu,
Damien.

-- 
* Pétition contre les brevets logiciels : http://lln.udev.org/sign.php3
-- 
Damien Diederen
dash@linuxbe.org
http://users.swing.be/diederen/