Re: not there yet (FAQ info)

[shack@deimos.frii.com (Randy Shackelford)]

In article <19970325234900372753@dempson.actrix.gen.nz>,
David Empson <dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:

[snippage]

>None of these references specifically cover the Mac-based options for
>copying files to ProDOS disks, but they at least explain the standards
>for storing ProDOS files on Mac disks, and the translation method for
>the filetype/auxtype (ProDOS) to/from filetype/creator (HFS).
>
>I've never seen any documentation on how PC Exchange handles this, but
>derived my description from experimentation and deduction from the
>documentation I do have.

I noticed some deficiencies in the way ProTYPE converts TEXT files, and that
it doesn't quite work as advertised on those files. So I did some experiments
to pass on info to Dirk F. Here are some rules of thumb I discovered:

TEXT/ttxt files end up extended after copying to ProDOS, res fork or no
TEXT/pdos files end up standard if they have no res fork, extended if they do
'p'$xx$xx$xx/pdos files, same as TEXT/pdos

Oh yeah, TEXT files always end up as TXT with $0000 aux type, extended or not.
And files with the ProDOS type/aux type end up with the appropriate types.

The problem with the current ProTYPE is that it says it sets files with names
ending with .txt to 'p'x04x00x00/pdos, but it leaves 'em TEXT. It does get
rid of the res fork though. I think it should set any type TEXT file to the
ProDOS style file type and strip the res fork, but TEXT/pdos works well
enough as long as there is no res fork.

>The program used to change filetypes is irrelevant, assuming it doesn't
>do anything else to the file.  I've used Snitch and ResEdit's
>File/Folder Info command.

I use get more info, kinda a bare bones Snitch like extension.

>I have done this on a PowerMac (7600) running System 7.5.3 and 7.5.5
>with appropriate versions of PC Exchange installed.  Finder was used for
>everything.  Copying went to a ProDOS floppy (either 800KB or 1.44MB, I
>forget which).  Files verified under ProDOS-8 on a IIgs.

Same here, 'cept I only used HD disks.

>In the most convoluted case, I deliberately created a text file
>(SimpleText, if I remember right), verified it had no resource fork,
>manually set the file type and creator to TEXT/pdos, and copied it to a
>ProDOS disk.  No problem at all.  I also copied the SimpleText file (no
>resource fork, but creator was 'ttxt') and it ended up as an extended
>file with an empty resource fork.
>
>This proves that the wrong creator is sufficient to cause a problem.

That's how it turned out for me too like it says up there.

>I don't have a 68K Mac, so I can't try that.  I also cannot run older
>versions of PC Exchange, or the "ProDOS File System Extension", which
>might work differently.

I was using my Q840av running 7.6 and whatever version of PC Exchange it has.
No one should bother with the ProDOS extension any more, it's massively out
of date.
-- 
Randy Shackelford                                 
shack@frii.com