Re: links

[Dean Collins <dean halcyon com>]

I agree.  If you want it to be robust, this is the way to go,
a more sophisticated filesystem, able to assign attributes
to file sytem objects.  The Windows implementation
is pretty flaky.  I hope we don't copy them too closely.
Updating every program to be EA-aware or .*lnk-aware
would be just *asking* for trouble.

Dean


> Ah, yes.  That's why extended attribute support belongs in the
> filesystem (as in OS/2, VMS, and sortof Mac).  We'd have to use EA-aware
> versions of mv, cp, ln, etc.  (making sure they are ahead of the
> standard ones in the search path).  (Likewise, all gnome apps that move
> or copy files would need to use the EA-aware calls.)
> 
> 
> Paul
> 
> > From: 	Mark Eaton[SMTP:hettar@uq.net.au]
> > This sounds like exactly what I would like to see. :)
> > 
> > But if you had this file in every directory you would need
> > to have someway in which if a file was moved that the .EA
> > files were updated.
> > 
> > HeTTaR
> > Mark Eaton
> > hettar@uq.net.au
> > ICQ 1779385
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paul Hepworth <phepworth@s-vision.com>
> > To: 'gnome-list@gnome.org' <gnome-list@gnome.org>
> > Date: Thursday, 12 February 1998 10:31 am
> > Subject: RE: links
> > 
> > 
> > >> From: Mark Eaton[SMTP:hettar@uq.net.au]
> > >> I disagree. I use ln -s blah blah blah all the time and
> > it is exellent
> > >> yes. I wish I could use it under Windoze. But it doesn't
> > do what say
> > >> kdelnk does. It doesn't store gui info such as icon or
> > tooltips. It
> > >> doesn't let you setup up parameters to be passed when
> > run. There are
> > >> lots of things that say a glnk could do that linking
> > can't. I think
> > >> that having both would be the best solution.
> > >>
> > >I'd say let the user attach icon/tooltips/parameters and
> > other extended
> > >information to ANY file, not just to a link.  If I want
> > tooltips
> > >(comments) and specific icons for certain folders, my
> > executables, and
> > >specific data files (in addition to sym links to programs),
> > I should be
> > >able to do this.  It would be simple to add extended
> > attributes without
> > >filesystem support (since we don't have fs support) using
> > either DFM's
> > >one-file-database-in-home-dir or (my preference) in a .EAs
> > file in each
> > >directory that contains files with extended attributes.
> > >The .EAs file could be text editable looking something like
> > this:
> > >---------
> > >"A filename that has EAs associated with it" {
> > >  icon=hideous.xpm
> > >}
> > >
> > >anotherFile.dat {
> > >  mimetype="some mimetype to override the extension-assumed
> > type"
> > >  tooltip="A piece of text to quickly describe the
> > program/folder/file"
> > >  icon=cool.xpm
> > >  doc="man:manpage"
> > >  #doc="info:foo.info"
> > >  run="$x -d4 $f"
> > >  # $x is system-wide program associated with this mimetype
> > >  # $f is filename (of this file)
> > >  # $p is full pathname of file
> > >  # $1, $2, $* etc. represent dropped files
> > >  # $1p, $2p, etc. represent full path names of dropped
> > files
> > >  # $c is current working directory
> > >  # $? would suggest that the shell prompt the user for
> > input
> > >parameter(s)
> > >  # default for non-executable files is run="$x $f"
> > >  # default for executable files is "$f $*"
> > >  paramsDefault="untitled.text"
> > >  # default paramsDefault is "$f" for non-executable, "$*"
> > for
> > >executable
> > >  paramsPrompt="Enter filename(s):"
> > >  # default prompt is "Enter parameters for $x:" for
> > nonexecutable
> > >  # default prompt is "Enter parameters for $f:" for
> > executable
> > >}
> > >
> > >"aJavaProg.class" {
> > >  icon=neato.xpm
> > >  doc="some prog.html"
> > >  run="java thePackage.theSubPackage.aJavaProg"
> > >  # needed because an association isn't sufficient to run
> > >  #   a java class that's in a package
> > >  #   (alternatively, the standard program launcher could
> > parse
> > >  #     the class file for package name as well as for the
> > existence
> > >  #     of main() or "extends Applet")
> > >}
> > >
> > >"some text file" {
> > >  tooltip="third letter to my mother requesting that raise
> > to my
> > >allowance :-)"
> > >  run="preferedEditor $f":"altEditor -lineNumbers
> > $f":"yaEditor -f $f"
> > >  # will run preferedEditor by default (double click),
> > >  #   but context menu, for example, would contain the
> > other options
> > >  print=preferedEditor:"text2ps $f | lpr"
> > >}
> > >-----------
> > >
> > >Any program (not limited to desktop or file managers) could
> > use the
> > >GetEA() API via C/C++/Guile/CORBA.
> > >Because these attributes could be attached to any file,
> > this has a big
> > >advantage over .lnk files.  Using this facility in
> > conjunction with
> > >symbolic links accomplishes what the .lnk ppl want, but in
> > a more
> > >flexible way.  This also permits adding attributes to
> > folders, files,
> > >etc.
> > >I'm not sure what the best way to internationalize these
> > settings would
> > >be.
> > >
> > >
> > >Paul
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >         To unsubscribe: mail gnome-list-request@gnome.org
> > with
> > >                       "unsubscribe" as the Subject.
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > -- 
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> >                        "unsubscribe" as the Subject.
> > 
> 
> 
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> 


-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dean Collins	dean@halcyon.com	http://www.halcyon.com/dean/
"I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim?...
 Sounds like fun!"  -- Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek: Generations