One such issue is whether we want to restrict all data accesses to
whole filetypes. If we do this, then etypes become superfluous and
are deleted from the standard. The issues, as framed by Bill
Nitzberg, were:
> 1. Is this a technically good idea?
> 2. How big a change is it?
The old email has ample discussion on both of these points. We are
enclosing below the modifications to the text which would be required
if this change were made.
A short summary is included below; a postscript version of the
modified sections of the I/O chapter is being sent in the next
message (sorry if you get a duplicate, I'm having trouble with
the mailer).
To the best of our knowledge, this is a complete set of
modifications. Please let us know if we've missed something.
Ian (& Bill)
Summary of changes:
Introduction / Definitions ---
eliminated etypes;
moved explanatory text from etype definition to filetype definition;
fixed view definition;
fixed offset definition.
File Views ---
eliminated etypes;
require filetypes to have the same extent.
Data Access ---
delete all but the first sentence of all data access
routines (the new `Data Access Conventions' makes this
text obselete regardless of what we do about etypes).
File Interoperability / User Defined Data Representations ---
would need to be changed.
Consistency and Semantics / Type Matching ---
changed 'etype' to 'type'.
Examples & Figures ---
probably need to be updated.
The following references to etypes can simply be deleted
(if the reference was `etypes and/or filetypes')
or changed to `filetype' (if the reference was `etype'):
- Data Access / Positioning
- Data Access with Individual File Pointers / Introduction
- Data Access with Individual File Pointers / SEEK
- Data Access with Individual File Pointers / FILE_GET_POSITION
- Data Access with Shared File Pointers / Introduction
- Data Access with Shared File Pointers / MPI_SEEK_SHARED
- File Interoperability
- Consistency and Semantics / Random Access vs. Sequential Files
- Consistency and Semantics / Miscellaneous Clarifications
- Filetype Constructors / Distributed Array Filetype Constructors