Re: Latin_1 and portability

[Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen)]

In article <20031213155408.356b7ec3.bjorn_persson.spam-is-evil@sverige.nu>, =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn?= Persson <bjorn_persson.spam-is-evil@sverige.nu> writes:
> On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 13:35:17 -0000
> "amado.alves" <amado.alves@netcabo.pt> wrote:
> 
>> I don't think I have ever met one implementation of TCP/IP or magnetic
>> media types (that's ISO-9660 right?) that actually convert.
> 
> ISO 9660 is for optical media - CDs and DVDs. Not that it matters.

Actually it can be used for magnetic disks as well, but the major reason
to choose it over OS-native formats is portability, and that is typically
done with optical media.

> TCP is on a far too low level to convert line breaks, and IP is even lower.
> FTP tries to do this, fails, and causes endless problems with corruption of
> non-text files. Even FTP is on a too low level.

Sorry, I was the one who said TCP/IP and I should have said FTP.
I have not heard of any troubles on such conversion, but the FTP
conversion would obviously only be used when the source system
indicated whether a file is text or not.

>> Of course AdaOS will do the right thing :-)
> 
> Now I'm curious. What is the right thing to do?

	1. Keep track of whether a local file is text or not.
	2. Convert on the fly for FTP with less capable operating systems
	3. Support ISO-9660 format in full, for both read and write.