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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mira.net.au!inquo!nntp.uio.no!news.cais.net!nntp.primenet.com!news.asu.edu!ennfs.eas.asu.edu!cs.utexas.edu!not-for-mail From: gajit@cs.utexas.edu (Ajit George) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.bsd.freebsd.misc,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.windows.x.apps,comp.unix.bsd.misc Subject: Re: Portable database library for Linux/FreeBSD Date: 27 Apr 1996 15:44:00 -0500 Organization: Univ. of Texas at Austin, CS Dept. Lines: 40 Sender: gajit@growl.cs.utexas.edu Message-ID: <vm2wx312y9f.fsf@growl.cs.utexas.edu> References: <4lk4cj$jko@sidhe.memra.com> <4ls5v0$764@news.interpath.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: growl.cs.utexas.edu In-reply-to: kpneal@interpath.com's message of 27 Apr 1996 03:57:20 GMT X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.0.15 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:14896 gnu.misc.discuss:24668 comp.windows.x.apps:11258 comp.unix.bsd.misc:850 In article <4ls5v0$764@news.interpath.net> kpneal@interpath.com (Kevin P. Neal) writes: In article <4lk4cj$jko@sidhe.memra.com>, michael@memra.com says... >it. This would allow for much more diversity of apps than the MS Windows >environment because the data files would be portable from one system to >another. >For instance, I have some ideas for a WP document format that >would make it both upwards and downwards compatible so that the first word >processor to use it will still be able to read and edit documents created >by the latest gee-whiz word processor. Ok, I suggest looking at the Electronic Arts Interchange File Format, known as "EA IFF 85" or just IFF. It organizes data into chunks. You have a FORM, a 32-bit size, and then the actual form type (another four letters). Documents are created with specificially designed and documented form types. Microsoft's Multimedia Extensions for Windows 3.0 (now isn't that a dated title) use the RIFF file format to store multimedia data such as .WAV files, .AVI files, etc. RIFF appears to be very similar to or a sub/superset of IFF. What I appreciated most about the file format was the complementing API that made navigating RIFF files simplistic and cut about 60% of the work from manipulating .WAV files. I don't know if all of Microsoft's applications use the same type of file format, but I seem to recall Excel using a similar structure based on the XLCHUNK or something like that. If anyone's interested in more information on RIFF, etc. it's available on the Microssoft Developer's Network CD and probably also in some standards document somewhere. I could get it for you, but I'd have to reboot and run Windows. Ajit