🚀 go-pugleaf

I've got an idea to bounce off the net here...  In considering design
and implementation of a file system for Amigix, I have been
contemplating the idea of designing a filesystem which is structurally
similar to Unix, but which has library support for manipulating IFF
files, and which actually uses IFF files for object files, executables
and any other filesystem-specific formats.

Part of the reasoning behind it is that the IFF format is far more
flexible than the AmigaDOS load file format, as the fields can easily
vary, and new ones can be added without affecting the performance of
the loader, except for a slight speed penalty to skip irrelevant
stuff.

The idea would be to creae a new FORM, perhaps FORM CODE.  Within this
single IFF FORM, you could have all sorts of data related to a
program.  You could have the executable (FORM EXE, likely) and the
object (FORM OBJ) along with the source (FORM SRC) and a man page
(FORM MAN) and documentation (FORM DOC) and a Makefile (FORM MAKE) and
a Workbench icon (FORM ICON) and other identifying things like the
originating author, machine, etc.  (as with LIST)  It could even be
extended so far as to have multiple versions of the source coordinated
within the file, in a manner similar to SCCS under Unix.  And all of
this could be put in a single file, grouped together conveniently.

Of course, there would be utilities for importing and exporting the
components to/from separate IFF component files, or (in some cases,
like a Makefile or documentation file) to/from a regular file.  There
could be a "man" command which first searches for the file described,
and if found, searches it for a FORM MAN to print.  Otherwise, it
could search /usr/man, or just give up.  An info command could simply
describe as much as it can about what a given IFF file contains.

You could even toss in things like an ILBM as a startup-screen which
the loader could display, or whatever...  the possibilities are vast.

Now, what do people thing of this idea?  Any ideas for improvements on
this (first-draft-type) model?  Also, how could it best be intergrated
with Unix (V7) system calls transparently, yet usably?

Also, where can I get the most recent IFF specifications?  I am basing
this on the EA IFF '85 specs given in Appendix B of the Addison-Wesley
RKM's.  If someone could Email me the most recent specs or direct me
to them, I would appreciate it.

I like the quote in the those specs: "Simple things should be simple,
and complex things should be possible."  Alan Kay, whoever that is.
Maybe I'll toss it in my .signature...

Deven
--
------- shadow@pawl.rpi.edu ------- Deven Thomas Corzine ---------------------
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sum...     In the immortal words of Socrates:  "I drank what?"     ...I think.