New archive file format (was: [omgps] collect feature requests)

[Laszlo KREKACS]

On Thu, Jul 2, 2009 at 9:15 AM, Patryk Benderz<Patryk.Benderz at esp.pl> wrote:
> - only store filename (and directory if any) and content"
> It might be convenient for future to store file properties like time of
> modification. This way you could implement automatic update of tiles
> that have been modified since last update or archive creation.

This is a neverending game. You store one properties, others want other
property to store. You finally ends something overcomplicated like an
xml structure.
And for accessing the files inside the archive, you dont need this infos at all.

But this fileformat is flexible enough, just attach the metainformation of files
as a file into the archive!
And your problem is solved, and it is future-proof.

So the file structure would be something like this in your case:
[header]
[filenames]
[1. file = metadata file]
[2. file]
[3. file]
[4. file]


However this fileformat is not final, Im open for suggestions;)
I didnt decided if the filenames section should go at the end, or
right after the header. And where to store the metadata, if any?
(start vs. end of file)

So
[header]
[filenames]
[1. file]
[2. file]
[3. file]

vs.
[header]
[1. file]
[2. file]
[3. file]
[filenames]

The same with metadata:
[header]
[filenames]
[1. file = metadata file]
[2. file]
[3. file]

vs.
[header]
[1. file]
[2. file]
[3. file = metadata file]
[filenames]


Need a bit of thinking here.

Laszlo