pathnames [Re: files, printers, etc. [Re: The feel of a Lisp

[Mike McDonald]

>Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 11:34:29 +1000
>From: "Chris Bitmead uid(x22068)" <Chris.Bitmead@alcatel.com.au>
>Subject: Re: pathnames [Re: files, printers, etc. [Re: The feel of a Lisp
>To: lispos@math.gatech.edu
>
>
>>> I think this is subtley locking yourself into a particular paradigm of
>>> a Unix style tree structure.
>>
>>
>>Not necessarily - the only thing I am asserting here is that groups
>>of objects may contain groups of objects. Those symbols, that
>>reference objects inside groups, could be anything - a group of
>>large-number prime factorisations, 
>
>Well groups within groups is a tree structure by definition.


  Nope, it gives you general directed graphs. Trees only come if you
require group to "be within" only one other group.

>>=> a new syntax:
>>
>>(make-path *internet* "abwillms.demon.co.uk" 'Public 'Hello!)
>
>You're still assuming simple tree structure with a single key for
>getting at your objects.
>

  No he didn't. He's saying here's one path to the object. There may
be other just as valid paths to it.

  Mike McDonald
  mikemac@engr.sgi.com