OFF: Extensible File System

[Cybernaut]

    I know there's a slight avversion to file systems in this project, but I
just thought I'd pipe up with an idea I've been working on for a while. I
call it an Extensible File System. Any file system I've yet encountered,
FAT, HPFS, various UNIX FSes in particular can be made extensible. What this
entails is adding additional tags to any directory entry for any file you
want to entend. For instance, for graphics files, the tag can contain
information about the format and structure of the image, resolution, aspect
ratio, the best viewer for it, etc., etc. This would make prioriknowledge of
the image file unnecessary. Also, for things like constructing GUI desktops,
each dirent in the user's desktop directory could designate an object on the
desktop. Each dirent could then have an additional tag describing where that
object appears on the decktop, a pointer to a small graphic file to retrieve
that object's icon, information on what needs to happen when that object is
clicked, double-clicked, drag-and-dropped, etc.
    I believe that by handling objects files as just another extended dirent
tag, the system can easily discern one object from another and know what
object does what without ever having to know where that object is stored or
anything about the internal stucture of the object files.
--
Matthew Garrett, N9THG "Nice To Have a Gateway (2K)" <Cybernaut>
Sun 20: garrett@judy.indstate.edu    Astrophysics, Firearms, Ham Radio,
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Phone: (812)235-1456             "Build a computer that even a fool can use
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