Re: DogCows or Polymorphism in the Hurd

[Tom Bachmann]

Jonathan S. Shapiro wrote:
> > Maybye we're speaking cross purposes and I just don't understand the 
> > thing. Assume I move a .tar.bz2 file from some where into an empty 
> > directory. Then I use my "completely-polytype-unawayre-ls", what will I 
> > see? And will I see something different when using the hurdish ls. If 
> > so, what and why?
>
>
> What you will see is a single file "foo.tar.bz".
>
> But if you now choose to browse this file through a browser, the browser
> may choose to bind a directory-ish view under a new name. Or not.

OK. But how does the browser bind the file? I understand how it get's 
the new file object, but how does it make this file object known? It 
could be realized with a translator by a new channel of indirection...
Anyway, in the above sense, is a hurdish ls a "browser"?

> If you want a pretty good example of how this works from the user point
> of view, look at the Windows Explorer.

Uhm. I don't use Windows my self, so what does the explorer do? As far 
as I remember It just browses directories.

> The graph that I was referring you to was:
>
>    PolyType
>     /    \
>   File   Dir
>
> In this graph, foo.tar.bz would be bound as a File interface (more
> likely, as a BzFile interface).

I don't think it is bound more likely as a bzFile, because the standard 
binding should be compatible to other OS.
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