[Zoom]

Just ran across this snippet on MacOSRumors...

"Several updates to the OS X file system will improve disk I/O performance, data integrity after crashes or power failures, and the functionality of files in general with the advent of long-awaited Meta-Data support.

The new Finder will also include numerous new features with regards to dealing with files, thanks to the new filesystem's meta-data implementation. We may even see the long-awaited answer to OS X's lack of Labels, which some readers might remember from OS 9."

I was so ticked when Apple pulled meta data from its file system. Sure, it's non-standard for Unix, but that's one of the things that made Apple's OS so great! I hate the reliance on file suffixes to determine what app it belongs to, and all the crap about hiding extensions... it's so hokey. Meta-data rocks. Is it back??

[Zoom]

Someone, way back when OS X was first coming out, did an extensive technical article on the pros and cons of the new file system, but I can't find it. I thought it was Ars Technica, but I can't find it there.

For what it's worth, there is what looks to be a good article on the Finder on that site right now. I haven't read it all yet, maybe it's referenced in there.

Does anyone else recall seeing the article I'm talking about? This person really analyzed the technical aspects of having the meta data in OS9 and losing it in OSX. I think the guy came down on the side of not having it, but he gave lots of good arguments both ways and I personally would love to have it. I think Apple was a leader in this regard and the only argument I recall this guy really having against it was that it's "non standard". But it's been a while.

[Zoom]

I should just hold a conversation with myself...

This article DID have a link to the other article I was looking for, though the Ars search didn't find it. But I was wrong, this guy was for meta data. Check it out.

I hope Apple is bringing it back and I hope they're not now stuck having to support the "old" OS X file system because they couldn't make this leap initially.

[simifilm]

AFAIK Apple didn't actually "pull" Metadata. After all, HFS+ is still there. You don't lose your metadata if you move a file from OS9 to OSX, the OS just doesn't rely on it anymore.

[Zoom]

Hmm, okay. But I would also assume that none of the new applications (Apple or 3rd party) actually create the resource fork, right? So all new files would need to have this added, but that's doable.

If Apple does return to using this, I hope it "deprecates" (or whatever the equivalent Apple terminology is) the use of file extensions and somehow requires all Panther files to have the resource fork and the metadata. I also hope they include some nice utilities for managing this, like FileBuddy-type stuff, giving batch capabilities over this info and the application mappings.

I need to go re-read these articles when I have time, but it seems there were some other really cool things you could do with metadata that even Apple hadn't yet done.

The bundling/packaging thing was a cool idea, though I don't like the way it breaks down in command line mode. I would like these things to be treated like tar files or zip files, so that even at the command line it appears monolithic and you have to explicitly "browse" it with a utility to see the internals.

I can't wait to read the Finder article because I must say that I don't like the OS X Finder experience nearly as much as OS 9, and I don't just think it's a familiarity thing. I have a feeling that this article will help me put my finger on these things have have been bothering me.

Like the file browser still sucks. I have a hard time finding anything under OS X and surfing in any mode just seems a pain. I respect that Apple tried something different in an attempt to improve the user experience, but I think they failed to beat what they already had in OS 9.