file attributes

[Peter Whittaker]

(It's been awhile since I've used the application discussed herein:
advapologiesance for any errors....)

dhesi at cirrus.com (Rahul Dhesi) wrote in <1991Jun26.011529.23375 at cirrus.com>:
>When I double-click on a C file, I don't always want to just compile
>it.  Sometimes I want to run lint on it instead.  Other times I want to
>expand tabs in it.  Other times I want to enter my favorite editor to
>edit that file.  Other times I want to enter my favorite editor in
>read-only mode to view that file.  Other times I want to enter my
>*second*-most favorite editor to edit that file, because I just happen
>to need a feature at that instant that that second-most favorite editor
>provides.

OS/2 has an interesting feature that may be worthy of note:  file extension
associations.  Since OS/2 comes out of the PC world, almost all filenames
have a one to three character extension (i.e. prog.exe, proc.c, etc...).

The OS/2 File System (a PM-based GUI for file system manipulation and
exploration) allows you to associate executables with extensions, and
vice versa.  If you select an executable, and request an association, 
you will be prompted for a filename extension.  Subsequent double clicks
on filenames with the given extension will cause that executable to be
launched against that file.  Multiple associations are fine.

In the case of multiple associations, double clicking a file will cause
a modal dialog to appear, asking you to select the executable you wish
to invoke against the file, i.e.
	
	I associate cc, lint, vi, and more, with the .c file extension
	Next, I double click on prog.c:  the File System then asks me 
	to choose which executable I wish to use against prog.c.

As for arguments, you can specify default arguments when you make the 
original association.  These can be overridden when you are selecting
which executable to invoke, i.e. the modal dialogue presents you with
a list of executables and their default arguments - you single the executable,
then edit the argument list.  Associations can be added, modified, and deleted
at any time, and take effect immediately.

Since the association information is part of the File System (which is,
after all, an OS/2 application sitting on top of the DOS file system - such
as it is :->), there is no meta-data in the file:  you can safely ftp your
source from a PS/2 to a Sun 4/490 without needing any esoteric resource/file
discumbobulation.

(IMHO) the OS/2 File System's "associations" are useful, workable, and
sensible:  they do not modify the files (BIG bonus - no new tools needed);
they provide a quick and simple way to do default file handling (double
click twice);  they provide a convenient IF for changing default arguments;
and they allow me to drop to the command line as if nothing had changed
(since nothing has :->).

(IMHO) if you want to put File Attributes into UNIX, do it in an application
that sits above the FS:  don't you *dare* modify my FS until you know that
what you are doing works, works well, and meets my needs!  (Let's not forget
about backwards compatibility either:  it's an ugly issue, but as UNIX begins
to make inroads into the business world, and as more and more end users - i.e.
not programmers, hackers, etc... - make use of UNIX as a daily tool, backwards
compatibility will become more and more important.

(IMHO) standards bloat is worse than kernel bloat:  at least you can rewite
the kernel and provide the same functionality, without disturbing anything
that depends on it.... (is a :-> apropos?)

--
Peter Whittaker      [~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]   Open Systems Support
pww at bnr.ca           [                          ]   Bell Northern Research 
Ph: +1 613 765 2064  [                          ]   P.O. Box 3511, Station C
FAX:+1 613 763 3283  [__________________________]   Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4H7