RE: [Gnu-arch-users] Tlaa on wndows - new pathcompression scheme

[Parker, Ron]

> From: address@hidden [mailto:address@hidden

> Someone on this mailing list wrote that pathcompression
> appears to work, but that the mapping to numbers is kinda
> ugly... or he didn't realy like it but could live with it.
> 
> First reaction was to think "shoo, go away fool"

It was me.  I posted from a different address, but I did say that.  I also
said it was faster to do a number-to-string lookup than it was to do some
sort of string-to-string mapping.  

If the VFAT short name hack is used directly via the Win32 API, it solves
one class of problem, i.e. get tla working on Win32.  It does not
necessarily solve the Microsoft-application-X-crashes-on-deep-paths problem
which afflicts Explorer and many others, as they always opt to use the long
path form, unless explicitly given the short form.  

However, if you are talking about some generic solution similar to VFAT
short names that might be workable across platforms.  It would still be
slower than a number-to-string mapping, but it would be somewhat more
understandable to the user as well.  Overall I think it would be a win.