> I gather that the problem being considered is how to store icons for
> files?
After following the Gnome lists with half an eye, I suspect more and
more that it's a question of having what the other's got.
Basically, one wants to store "metadata" for files, typically
- an icon
- file type, image size etc
- creator
- application that created the file
etc, similar to what Apple does with their "fork" and MS does with file
extensions.
My problem is that those systems were designed with a single user
context in mind, including what application created some file may make
sense on a single user non networked box, but we don't really need
"application <unknown>" errors in the much more global and multi-user
Unix camp. *I* chose what apps I use on what kind of data.
Similar for icons - if files have icons, it's for easy identification of
the file type (and possibly content, e.g. thumbnail images). I don't
want to be encumbered with other peoples' ideas of what icon to use for
certain kinds of files.
The point is that almost all of the metadata belong in a system defaults
file, overridden as needed by a user defaults file, and *not* with the
particular file. The rest, like image resolution, file type etc are
already embedded in the file, and need no resource fork, hidden dotfile,
or directory-like structure to store it.
> Is that the definition of the problem? Is the solution being
> considered whether to allow an object to be both a directory and a
> file at the same time, so that the icon for the file can be stored
> inside the directory that is the file? This solution would have other
> advantages for other purposes than the icon problem.....
If a file type needs metadata, create a new file type containing a
section with those metadata, or embed the metadata in comment fields.
But most metadata are IMHO metadate for the file type or class, not the
file instance, and should be user determined, not creator determined.
There.. this morning's rant done. And by the way, this thread probably
doesn't belong on linux-kernel :-)
~kzm
-- If I haven't seen further, it is by standing in the footprints of giants- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu Please read the FAQ at http://www.altern.org/andrebalsa/doc/lkml-faq.html