In looking through listings of new uploads to the MS-DOS/Windows site CICA, I came up with an idea for a program for the QL. Not having the full expertise or time to work on it, I thought I would present the idea here. Hopefully someone will run with it.
Descriptor is a program that allows for each QDOS file to have a “long file name” or description. The best way to describe this program is to show how it will work.
When a user is ready to enter a file name into a program (such as Quill), he hits ALT-Q (Query). The Descriptor window pops up. The user enters a description of the file (something like a long file name). Examples would be:
MFR: Memo to my Boss (MFR stands for Memo For Record)
Letter to Mom dated 11/28/94
Article for QHJ on programming
Descriptor would then look up all of the file descriptors that have the string in them. If more than one is found, the user is allowed to choose. The real filename (ie. flp1_text_txt) is then entered into the program (via the keyboard buffer).
The program allows you to almost ignore the real file name for a file and use the long descriptor.
How it all should work:
Each disk will have a database file (text file) that links file names to descriptors. The file will be called descriptor_db. The format will be:
filename_ext:descriptor
Descriptor only deems the first : in the file as important. This means that colons are allowed in the decriptor.
Descriptor will have three functions: Query, Add file, Delete file.
ALT – Q is the hotkey for the Query function.
ALT – A is the hotkey for the Add File function. Right before saving a file, hit ALT-A, enter the file name and then the descriptor. The file name will be entered into the program for you.
ALT – D is the hotkey for the Delete File function. The user will query for a file (via descriptor). Select the proper file and it will be deleted (out of the database and off the disk). It may be usefull to delete out of the database but not off the disk.
In theory this should work fairly well. In practise, I don’t know how well it would do. It would help in keeping track of a bunch of text files or Quill files. I’ve used this type of file naming in a Unix office automation package called Alis (by Applix). It really is much easier to keep track of documents, esp. with lots of memo’s and such.