Re: file as a directory

[Peter Foldiak]

Horst von Brand wrote:

> Now think about files with other formats, for instance the (in)famous
> sendmail.cf, or less structured stuff like you find in /etc/init.d/, or
> just Postgres databases (with fun stuff like permissions on records and
> fields)... or just people groping in /etc/passwd wanting to find the whole
> entry (not just one field), or perhaps look at the 15th character of the
> entry for John Doe.
>
> This way lies utter madness (what format description should be applied to
> what file this time around?). Plus shove all this garbage into the kernel?!
>  

I was suggesting this idea mainly form XML files, where the tags define 
the parts clearly.
In addition, I was suggesting that some of the XPath syntax (normally 
used for within-XML selection) could be extended above the file level 
into the file system.
The problems you mention are all related to non-XML file format issues, 
which was only a minor comment in parenthesis in my original mail. I am 
happy to do it only for XML to begin with (and if possible later see if 
it can be done for SOME non-XML formats).  Peter
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