Topic       : TOS - The Operating System
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Version     : tos.hyp (December 19, 2008)
Subject     : Programmieren/Atari
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Compiled on : Atari
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View Ref-File5.2  Support for alternative file-systems                          TOS

The MiNT project of the Canadian Eric Smith made possible for the 
first time the use of alternative file-systems, and with that the use 
of long filenames under TOS. This was achieved through the 
introduction of new GEMDOS functions.

These new functions however do not have to be present only when MiNT 
is installed: MagiC as of Version 3.0 possesses some MiNT-compatible 
functions; also MetaDOS drivers with corresponding functionality have 
been spotted. For this reason it is imperative that interrogation for 
the MiNT cookie should be removed from all programs. The presence of a 
(!nolonk [GEMDOS]) function can be recognized by the fact that the 
function does not return the value EINVFN.

To obtain information about the underlying file-system, one should use 
the GEMDOS function Dpathconf.




The above illustration shows the limitations of a pure TOS file system 
for the various drives. The column files specifies the maximum number 
of files that may be opened per process (apart from process-internal 
limits). Under links one can see the maximum number of links to a file 
that may exist. path_max shows how long complete filenames (including 
the path) may be on the file-system. The column name_max shows the 
maximum length of a filename, and under atomic is specified how many 
bytes may be written per write operation. The column trunc is 
specially important, showing how over-length filenames will be 
truncated. Finally, under case one can tell whether and how filenames 
with mixed capitals and lower case will be supported.

The rule of thumb is: Always continue using filenames and paths 
exactly as they were presented by the operating system; basically, 
write filenames in lower case, as even on systems with mixed capitals 
and lower case, filenames in capitals are rather the exception!

See also: XFS-concept in MagiC   Dpathconf