wolfrage8...@gmail.com wrote:
All, I have had a curious idea for awhile, and was wondering the best
way to implement it in Python and if it is even possible. The concept
is this, a file that is actually a folder that contains multiple files
(Like an Archive format). The actual files are really un-important.
What you are describing is exactly like any one of many different file
formats, such as zip files, tar files, and others.
What I want is for the folder to be represented as a single file by
any normal file browser, but to be able to access the files with-in
via Python. I will actually use the word archive to represent my
mystical folder as a file concept for the rest of this message.
Actual folders ("directories") are special, since they are handled by the file
system. But you can create any file format you like, it is just data. For
example, a GIF file can contain multiple frames (animated GIFs); Libre Office
and Open Office files contain multiple pieces of data; zip files can contain
multiple compressed files of any type; AVI files can contain multiple audio
streams; cd/dvd image files can contain multiple file system; etc.
There's nothing special about file browsers: if they don't understand a file
format, they can't do anything special with files of that format. But if they
do understand the file format, then they can. *Any* program that understands
the file format can do anything it likes with the data.
Some
additional things I would like to be possible: is for multiple copies
of the program to write to the same archive, but different files
with-in at the same time (Reading & Writing to the archive should not
lock the archive as long as they are different files); and for just
the desired files with-in the archive to be loaded to memory with out
having to hold the entire archive in memory.
*shrug*
Sure, whatever you like. You just have to program it.
[...]
MS Word uses Binary streams as shown here:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/0/1/501ED102-E53F-4CE0-AA6B-B0F93629DDC6/WindowsCompoundBinaryFileFormatSpecification.pdf
Is this easy to do with python? Does it prevent file locking if you
File locking is not a property of the programming language, but of the file
system and operating system.
use streams? Is this worth the trouble, or should I just use a
directory and forget this magical idea?
Seems like a lot of work for very little benefit, but if you want it, you can
build it.
Personally, I think that instead of re-inventing the wheel, use existing
tools. Python comes with the pre-built tools to use tar, zip, gzip, xml, json,
pickle file formats. You should investigate the powers and limitations of
those file formats before inventing your own.
I'm sorry that I can't be more specific, but your question is awfully generic.
It's a bit like somebody saying "Can I build a remote-controlled car out of
electronics and metal?" Of course you can. But to actually do so, you need to
have detailed plans rather than vague questions -- you need to know
electronics and mechanics.
But good luck!
--
Steven
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