Longhorn: WinFS.

[Reva]

Micro$oft seems to be changing the Hierarchical file system to Schema based storage named WinFS, I wonder how will Windows Commander look when we have the dynamically-chosen attributes based file system.

More on WinFS@
http://longhorn.msdn.microsoft.com/lhsdk/winfs/daovrwhatiswinfs.aspx
http://blogs.gotdotnet.com/tims/PermaLink.aspx/c746876a-0c86-4629-b49f-bb7951ef4448
http://longhornblogs.com/dhopton/posts/932.aspx

[Blind]

Just wait for 2-3 years and you will see

[Thany]

A file system is stil a bunch of files and directories. You can call a directory a schema or a database or wahtever, but it remains a container for files. By the way, WinFS (if that's going to be the name) should be fully backwards-compatible, or else there's no way users are going to use it.

So for TC I don't see why there need to be a lot of changes. The file system should never be of any applications concern...

[pdavit]

So for TC I don't see why there need to be a lot of changes. The file system should never be of any applications concern...

Unless there is a need to take advantage of any new "improvements" of the newer file system. Yes backwards compatibility will be possibility supported based on history but what if you want to use TC on "fresh configurations"?

It is though a bit early to talk about it. When a new file system is released developers have to go through its details first, make a little study/research, and then proceed to any necessary adjustments. Only time will tell!

[havanna]

2pdavit: MS promises "Full compatibility", the "old" windows api is going to be supported as a standard so that fresh configuration shouldn't be a problem.
But that MSDN link above is a real laugh! They are going to change just everything AND make it compatible to Win32 (and probably still keep some of the old DOS as well
I think it's going to be a loooong time to make it work. And probably even longer to get the bugs out. And then they still have to make us buy it.

A very long time.

[JohnFredC]

WinFS just adds a formal way to manage file and file system metadata.

For instance, there have been requests that TC support additional columns in the file panels: MP3 tags, image dimensions, compression ratios, etc. WinFS STANDARDizes methods of defining and storing that data and provides an API (or APIs) to access/manage/and display it.

I am really excited about this! Imagine setting a filter in TC that displays just jpgs with dimensions greater than 1024 x768 and which have a user flag set by you at some prior date. No longer would you need a "specialized" application for that. Just any file manager that supports the WinFS API interfaces...

Put very simply, my guess is that WinFS will allow users to add "fields" of their own design to the file system, then build sorting and filtering on the fields into the standard API and gui interfaces.

Not so weird... indeed a functionality I have wanted for a long time.

And perfect for the TC 6.0 tabbed interface plus, perhaps, a robust virtual folders functionality.

[JohnFredC]

I might add that, from my reading, I think that those "extra" WinFS fields might actually be what modern data techs call "dimensions"... meaning they might support their own internal structuring, including hierarchical relationships.

We'll see.

[Reva]

For instance, there have been requests that TC support additional columns in the file panels: MP3 tags, image dimensions, compression ratios, etc. WinFS STANDARDizes methods of defining and storing that data and provides an API (or APIs) to access/manage/and display it.

Truly these features will be great, also Micro$oft is saying that Verbs associated with each of Kind of the Schema will be different, like for example a Person’s Contact will have actions like email him, fax him or search for his documents. So not just presenting the these in the windows commander will be interesting, also how the different actions will be accessible will also be interesting (Task Pads is the answer by Microsoft, may be in windows commander the status bar buttons will change for each kind of schema)..

[JohnFredC]

may be in windows commander the status bar buttons will change for each kind of schema

I was thinking an additional panel beneath (or above) each file pane (with a splitter) that would dynamically show properties (I guess the MS word is "schema"?) of the select file(s)?

I also envision an enhanced "Find"-like interface that would either float with TC or perhaps be an embedded panel like the one I mentioned above...

For me, the key to understanding WinFS is to think of it as a group of system- and user- defined many-to-many tables, one field in one table of which is similar to a "blob" field and which logically contains the actual file contents.

[Jonas]

Imagine setting a filter in TC that displays just jpgs with dimensions greater than 1024 x768

This may already be possible with TC6.5
I proposed a fourth plugin-typ for filesearch and renaming; and because you can use all filesearch-features for defining you own filters something like your example should be possible next spring. see here: http://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=1274&start=15

[Reva]

Simple Introduction to WinFS:

WinFS enhances NTFS with a database layer that relies on the coming Yukon version of SQL Server (see "Future Development Tools"). In addition to familiar attributes like filename, size, and date, files will be indexed by metadata such as the author's name or image dimensions. The underlying hierarchy of folders will still exist, but users will work with "Libraries" of similar files.

A Library is defined as a group of files pulled together by a query to the WinFS database. Reports on leaked alpha versions of Longhorn describe several built-in Libraries: Documents, Games, Music, My Contacts (replacing the address book), and Picture and Video. We assume users will be able to create additional Libraries based on their own criteria. Files in a Library won't move from their folders; in fact, one file can appear in multiple Libraries. A Library can be configured with display settings matched to the file types it contains, and when a new file that matches the criteria is created, it will automatically appear in the Library.

The self-descriptive nature of XML-based file formats makes their metadata automatically accessible to WinFS, and this will encourage the use of such formats.