[Virtualacorn-list] RiscOS-MS file conversion

[Alan Adams]

In message <956f124656.tigger at bc63.orpheusinternet.co.uk>
          Nick Roberts <tigger at orpheusinternet.co.uk> wrote:

> In message <56458ccfcacvjazz at waitrose.com>
>        Chris Newman <cvjazz at waitrose.com> wrote:

>> In article <51497.91.85.218.30.1496335157.squirrel at email.orpheusnet.co.uk>,
>>    Bob Ardler <ardler at argonet.co.uk> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> Remaining puzzle: Attaching thingy/doc to an email automatically swaps
>>> slash to dot. MS ignoramus, so don't know how to save thingy/doc onto
>>> a memory stick for school use. Is drag'n'drop from RiscOS OK? But then
>>> what to do at the other end? (Haven't even reached forDummies level
>>> with Windows saving.)

If you drop it onto a device which is FAT32 formatted (i.e. Windows 
format) the / will turn into a . so that Windows users can use it.

If the device is RISC OS formatted it will not change, and the device 
will work correctly with other RISC OS computers (but will be 
inaccessible to Windows computers).
>> 
>> If I understand correctly what you are saying,  thingy/doc becoming
>> thingy.doc on the Windows side is correct. Windows uses the extension
>> after the dot, usually 3 characters, to identify the filetype. RiscOS
>> doesn't need the extension as it can tell the filetype by
>> interrogating the innards of the file. (I hope that's a correct
>> explanation).

> Nope - that's how *nix does it, but RISC OS uses information held in
> the directory catalogue for file typing (on native filing systems - on
> non-native filing systems such as CIFS or NFS it gets a bit more
> complex).

>> RiscOS mail programmes automatically change the slash to a dot to be
>> accessible to the poor souls who don't use RiscOS.
>> 
>> Your file should therefore be perfectly readable/usable at the
>> Windows or Mac end.

> This bit is, of course, correct.



-- 
Alan Adams, from Northamptonshire
alan at adamshome.org.uk
http://www.nckc.org.uk/