From: lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex)
Subject: Re: MS-DOS FST
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 11:07:28 GMT
Organization: Netcom; Renegade User

In article <1992Aug14.185448.434@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> bb252@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (James L. Brookes) writes:
>dlyons@Apple.COM (David A Lyons) writes:
> 
>>I don't have much real-world experience with MS-DOS.  I'm interested in
>>your informed opinions on what MS-DOS suffixes (.TXT, etc) should correspond
>>by default to various GS/OS filetype/auxiliary type combinations.
> 
>>Here's one possible list of default translations:
> 
>>  suffix ftype auxtype

[Stuff about using ORCA language types for MS-DOS languages, "since
 those are the only languages available," deleted]
    ___
     |hat would defeat the whole purpose of having different aux types
 for different langauge compilers.  When you type "compile source.c"
 ORCA checks the aux type of the file to find out what language to use.
 When ORCA sees an aux of $0008, it KNOWS that it's specifically an
 ORCA/C file, not just "oh, that's some kind of C source."  Maybe some
 day some enterprising person will make a C compiler that is 100%
 Turbo C compatible.  A new aux type would then be assigned to Turbo C
 source.  If someone has already moved over a bunch of Turbo C source
 using the MS-DOS FST and it's all assigned the aux type of ORCA/C, it'll
 be a real pain to go and look through all the source and change its
 aux type to the new one for Turbo C.
 
    ][ would like to suggest that a new vendor number be defined within
 the SRC aux type for "generic" or "unspecified" languages, or perhaps
 for "MS-DOS source code."  That way, source code files could be moved
 over into the SRC file type and any future compiler or programmer could
 at least get a general idea from the file's aux/type as to what langauge
 it is.

>>  .GIF    $C0   $8006      GIF file
> 
>Does this mean there is a filetype/auxtype combo for GIFs finally?  That
>would be very nice
 
    ]-[aven't you been keeping up on your File Type Notes?  (:  This
 type is in the latest "About File Type Notes."  The latest FTNs (and
 regular TNs) have been up in A2Pro on GEnie for weeks, now, if not
 over a month, so they should probably be available on Apple's FTP site,
 by now.
 
    |\|ow that there's an official type for GIFs, it should only be a
 couple more years before we get one for MODs, the other major untyped
 file, right now.  (Just kidding, Matt!)
     _
    /-\ctually, I did make a suggestion at KansasFest that many common
 archive types be given aux types within the LBR/$E0 type, and that
 files with specific archive suffixes be transferred over into those
 types.  Examples are .ARC, .ZIP, .ZOO, .LZH, .LHA, .Z, etc.  Many of
 these archive types are already supported by programs on the IIgs
 (.ARC is even supported on the IIe/c).  Currently these programs
 simply ignore file types and match only on file names, so assigning
 these files specific file/aux type combinations wouldn't break any
 existing applications.  Matt replied that they didn't really want to
 get into translating MS-DOS suffixes into specific aux types within
 a file type, right now.  (I'm sure that he, personally, isn't too
 interested in working out some new file/aux type combinations for
 these files, either, since he'd be the one doing it. :)  The assignment
 of .GIF files to the new GIF file/aux type kind of nullifys this
 argument (though the one about having to make new ones still stands).
    ___
     |he final suggestion I have, right now, would be to assign new aux
 types for other kinds of graphic files, much like the GIF type. 
 Looking at the formats that SuperConvert and The Graphic Exchange
 support would give a good idea as to what formats to assign aux types.
 
 
>>David A. Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc.      |   DAL Systems
>>Internet:dlyons@apple.com                 |   Cupertino, CA 95015-0875
>-- 
>:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>|           James Brookes           | Oggnet:  House of Games, User #209      |
>|``What, me worry?'' - A. E. Neuman | Usenet:  bb252@cleveland.freenet.edu    |
>:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

-- 
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