Date   : Mon, 01 Feb 1988 09:01:00 -0600
From   : Ken Wallewein <kenw%noah.arc.cdn%ubc.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Suggestions for Irv Hoff's SD program

>From: clyde!watmath!utgpu!edwest@rutgers.edu  (Dr. Edmund West)
>Subject: Suggestions for Irv Hoff's SD program
>
>TO: Irv Hoff
> .
> .
> .
(4) Make the default file name and extensions consistent. 'SD' trans-
    lates to 'SD *.*', but (a) 'SD A' is interpreted as 'SD A.<null>'
    (rather than 'SD A.*', and (b) 'SD .B' is interpreted as 'SD <nul>.B'
    (rather than 'SD *.B').
> .
> .
> .

  I agree! This lack of consinstency - with itself, as well as with most other
directory facilities - is a nuisance. You can specify a null extendion by
specifying 'SD <filename>.' . On the other hand, I can't see a way to specify
a null filename, unless it's 'SD <space>.' ... but then, I've rarely wanted
to, if that proves anything :-)

  I use SD all the time. Just got version 128. It looks good; sorts by
extension/type and size by record are wins to me. One thing I'd like to see is
an indication of how much space each file wastes at the end of the last
allocation group, to decide which files should be placed in libraries. Maybe a
display in fractional groups? 

  If Unix 'compatibility' is worth pursuing (I think it is), then let's return 
to the '-' switch delimiter, rather than the '$'. I'm sure it's easy enough to 
change in the source; maybe it just needs to be documented.

  BTW, does anyone know of a directory utility which will tell you which, if 
any, files have groups multiply allocated? DU will you one of them, but you 
have to delete it to see the others. None of the UNERA-type programs seem to 
check for this properly, and only one bad-block checker (BD) even tells you 
when it does this.

/kenw