Re: data access functions
Rajeev Thakur (thakur@mcs.anl.gov)
Tue, 11 Mar 1997 17:09:55 -0600
> Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 11:20:13 -0800 (PST)
> From: "Ian E. Stockdale" <ies@nas.nasa.gov>
>
> In view of the changes to the I/O chapter over the last
> several meetings, it seems like it might be useful to look at the
> evolved text to see how the newer changes interact with the details
> which were already present. There may be some constraints which were
> determined based on requirements which no longer exist. Similarly,
> some choices may have been made to preserve functionality which has
> since vanished. Small modifications to improve the standard without
> making any fundamental changes might thus be possible.
I agree.
> As an example, I'd suggest that that the data access routines
> be required to manipulate data in multiples of whole filetypes. This
> would make these routines easier to implement. This would also
> simplify the user interface, and does not appear to remove any useful
> functionality.
I think this would be a big change though. For one, it would make the
concept of etype redundant, because of which we would have to revisit
many definitions.
Rajeev