Talk:File API internals

Main tasks

• File Storage API:
  • abstract (M1)
  • local pool implementation (M1)
  • DB schema (M1)
  • deletion, acls, metadata (M1)
  • problem: empty directories, file overwriting
• File Manager API:
  • unique class, able to handle one "file area" (M2)
  • security (M2)
  • hack old file manager to be able to work with new fileareas (M3)
  • js and non js implementations of FileManager (M4)
  • integration with editor (M4)
  • integration with formslib (M4)
  • integration with repos (M4)
  • problem: zip support
• File Serving:
  • from pool:
    • file.php
    • pluginfile.php
    • draftfile.php
    • userfile.php
  • from other moddata places:
    • rssfile.php
    • user/pix.php
    • user/pixgroup.php
• Migration:
  • course files (as much as possible, allow fallback) (M2)
  • moddata
• Backup & restore:

Milestones

M1: File storage API completed (this week) M2: migration of course files + new filephp + FileManager + hacked old file manager (next monday) M3: ...

rssfile.php

It's said that rss/file.php is kept only for backwards compatibility. But what exactly is meant by "backwards compatibility"? Just display feeds with nice error messages and info how to re-subscribe?

meta information

It seems like it would be nice to include some meta information about certain file types, e.g.:

• images: width, height, alt
• flash files: width, height

Regarding: File_API#Files_database_tables

Perhaps we could also hash filepath and filename and index by them, to save some text limitations in the DB side (length limits of indexes, not indexable, complex retrieval...). Eloy Lafuente (stronk7) 11:54, 29 June 2008 (CDT)

Also, perhaps we should store finally the plugin type there to save some queries per request, using it to drive to the correct file handling of each plugin. Eloy Lafuente (stronk7) 18:54, 29 June 2008 (CDT)