[ale] File Comments

[aaron]

This may be an _entirely_ off the wall question, but...

One of the many nice little features of the Amiga systems I use is the 
FILE COMMENT field in the file system: In addition to the (case retaining 
but case insensitive) 30 character file Name window, the Date spec, the 
Protection bits, etc., every File ID includes a Comment field of about 80 
characters. Over the years I have found this a very handy place for 
including a bit of extended and immediately accessable detail about a 
file or program. (e.g. Wephexed.lha = "Wobble's Extremely Practical Hex 
Editor; ftp.bowlweebles.com")

If recollection serves (since I so rarely have to suffer M$ products), 
there is a similar File Comment field under MeSsyDOS and its decendants. 
However, I'm also remembering that, ever since Winblows '95, the File 
Comment space has been usurped as a hack work around for M$DOS's crippled 
8.3 file name limits.

I suppose Mac's "Resource Fork" could be considered loosely similar to 
the file comments as well, but that filing scheme introduces its own set 
of nasty complications. ;-)

Anyway, when working with Unix / Linux I occasionally miss the File 
Comment feature (and always miss the Amiga DOS case handling).
Working with file names longer than about 20 characters becomes 
inconvenient given the ways that these handles are employed, so the 
unlimited Name length of *nix files falls short as a substitute.

I guess I'm just trying to be certain I haven't been seriously 
overlooking something for the past decade... so is anyone aware of a File 
Comment / File Descriptor facility in any of the *nix file systems or is 
there a known method for effectively emulating that feature?

Ever the curious one...
aaron


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