Dan Merillat once wrote:
>
> > In general, being able to parse a data structure doesn't imply
> > knowledge of the invariants used while creating it. As an example
> > from a different domain, as I'm working on my scanner driver, I have
> > not yet been able (even with documentation) to get it to scan correctly.
> > However, if I had a SCSI sniffer between my box and the scanner, I would
> > be able to understand everything going on between the two.
> > Understanding what is going on parallels readonly, being able
> > to scan parallels read-write.
> >
> > Does that help?
>
> Sort of. I can understand the problems when dealing with a scanner
> (or any unknown interface) But if you have the structure data, and
> you can read it, why are the magic incantations to write it so hard?
> Of course, it wouldn't be a first try thing, but you make a small
> hpfs partition and write to it, if you can read it back, you got it
> right. unless the ability to read the drive dosn't requre the full
> structure of the drive. (In which case it is more like data-extraction
> with a nice interface rather then a read-only interface, if you get
> the distinction.)
>
It depends - just imagine pgpfs. Try to delete cat picture and then
update this e-mail message so that the signature is still correct :)
- --
Snow ^oo^ Cat <snowcat@gd.cs.CSUFresno.EDU>
_ -> <- aka Oleg Kibirev <oleg@gd.cs.CSUFresno.EDU>
___(_) _ _)_
/ _) finger oleg@gd.cs.CSUFresno.EDU for PGP public key
\_.-._
|___/ Purr!
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