This is looking really nice.... BUT:
>I realize that making the link structure variably sized complicates
>matters for
>applications that store links, but I don't see any way around that.
I agree and there is a way around it...
typedef struct {
ULong creator; // source app
Byte userData[SOME_AMOUNT];
} LinkDataType;
With SOME_AMOUNT being fixed, maybe around 12-20 bytes.
Of course, it could be variable length, but probably doens't need to be,
and if it is, then apps with simple data types now have to have extra code
to pack & unpack records.
It might not suck to have an optional API launch code such as 'choose link
target' so that one app, to create a link, could offer a 'link object' menu
choice, which would first list all apps which are 'linkable' then upon
choosing one, that app would be launched with a sub-launch and show a pick
list of items. Upon choosing the item, the original app would just plop in
the link. It makes for a more seamless user experience.
Just my thoughts...
Alan Pinstein
Synergy Solutions, Inc.
http://www.synsolutions.com
1-800-210-5293
---
>Here's my complete idea:
>The user executes the "Mark for Linking" menu command in the target
>application.
>That application then allocates a structure containing:
>ULong creator_id;
>Byte number_of_extra_bytes; /* 256 bytes should be more than enough */
>Byte data[number_of_extra_bytes];
>For example, if the application uses unique ids to find records, it would
>allocate 8 bytes, storing its creator id in bytes 0-3, the number 3 in byte 4,
>and the uid of the record in bytes 5-7. It would then disown this
>structure and
>set it as a feature.
>
>The user switches to the application that will contain the link itself, and
>executes the "Create Link" command. That app will most likely copy the
>feature
>into its own data structures and then free the disowned memory.
>
>When the user chooses to follow the link, the target application will be
>launched
>with the newly defined launch code, and will be passed its own data
>structure as
>a parameter.
>
>I realize that making the link structure variably sized complicates
>matters for
>applications that store links, but I don't see any way around that.
>
>Let me know what you think.
>
>Ben Darnell
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
