Re: Do xml-like namespaces make sense for Reiser4? (re: metas thread)

[Grant Miner <mine0057@mrs.umn.edu>]

John D. Heintz wrote:

> Hi Grant,
> 
> No, I'm not familiar with this. I was trying to frame my questions 
> strictly in terms of Reiser4 naming constructs (the '/' operator only).

I only bring it up because extended attributes seem to have dealt with 
your mentioned problem, potential name conflicts, without trouble.  They 
use a "." as name separator but it is immaterial.

> 
> Do the extended attributes show up as file system paths? Or is there a 
> separate API to access them? If they show up as paths then I think they 
> are very loosely like what I'm talking about: a shorthand syntax that by 
> convention disabiguates similiar names.

They are invisible through normal POSIX API.  They have new system 
calls: getxattr, setxattr, listxattr, and removexattr which get, set 
list, and remove extended attributes.

> 
> Thanks for the reference, I'll look into this when time permits.
> 
> John
> 
Thanks