1st September 1992After reading Christopher Chadwick's Beginner's Guide To The Electron in EUG #5, I would like to try and clear up a little misunderstanding re: the BBC Micros. This article does contain a little misleading info and if the blessing of Will is forthcoming, I felt I should respond.
Whilst it is true that ADFS does by default make more efficient use of disk space, it is not true to say that DFS allows only one directory. You can use as many directories as you like. With the Acorn DFS ROM, you are limited to only one catalogue of 31 filenames. When these 31 are filled, the rest of the disk is unusable. By the simple expedient of fitting an STL DFS ROM, as many as 31 filename cats as necessary can be used, once again using disk space efficiently. All STL DFS are freely and legally available as ROM images to 'blow' onto an Eprom to Solinet members.
DFS does extend and rewrite a file, easily and transparently. If a subsequent file has been saved after the original and the original is then extended, DFS simply relocates the extended file to another spot on the disk, removing the original with no delay or bother at all. If the disk in question is becoming full, there may be a problem, as there can be with ADFS. In that event, the use of *COMPACT 0 (/2/1/3) shuffles all the files together, getting rid of any wasted spaces and making more room available.
So, not much wrong with Chris' notes on the Beeb and DFS, but perhaps enough to stop anyone acquiring same. Maybe these notes will put the record straight, if Will is kind enough to include it.
Ron Marshall, Solinet BBC User Group
More information about the Solinet BBC User Group can be found elsewhere in this issue. Having seen a copy of the above (edited) letter, Christopher Chadwick has sent the reply below...
Will Watts, EUG #6
Thanks for the letter from Ron Marshall; it provides some useful information that I wasn't aware of. I stand corrected. However, I also stand by what I said in that Acorn DFS isn't as good as ADFS as a filing system per se, and yes I would discourage Electron owners with a medium-sized system (i.e. MRB and Plus 1) to invest in a corresponding Beeb system as a replacement.
It is obvious that Acorn DFS still requires tweaking and preferably replacing with STL DFS. I don't know that this option exists for the Elk owner after STL has been so finetuned to the many variants of the Beeb. Whether you like it or not, 31 files in any directory IS a serious constraint. My EUG directory already contains 34 files and I anticipate more to come. Does DFS support sub-directories, another useful feature of ADFS? I think not.
Finally, and I ask this from curiosity, are the number of directories not limited to 31 by virtue of the directory name being seen as a filename by the root directory? 31 directories might seem a tad excessive but it could affect some uses I'm sure. DFS is excellent for uses that require PAGE at &E00 such as games, but I feel it has serious short-comings for anything benefiting from a hierarchical filing system.
In these days of wizard computers with mouse-driven Graphical User Interfaces (Windows, OS/2), the humble Beeb and Elk are showing their age and can be seen as much the same beast. It is possible to string a hard disk onto a Beeb or even an Elk, but really, what's the point when, for not much more money, you can get a capable secondhand 386 PC? The results do not compare favourably with even a standard Hard Drive office machine.
If you need a bigger, faster machine with HD and the other 'office' type gubbins, an IBM compatible is the only sensible move. Don't get me wrong, the Elk/Beeb twain are good machines for what they are, and either one provides a truthful and enjoyable picture of computing in the home at an affordable price. But it would be folly to change to a BBC B only in the belief that it was hugely superior to the Elk without thoroughly comparing software and applications first.
The BBC Master however is a very different story and has available for it a usable PC emulator and (ADFS) hard disk option. This is a consideration for anyone wishing to carry out limited work on a PC generated file while retaining an education-friendly Acorn for the children.
The above opinions are based on my experience as an 'IT professional' and the limited investigation of my decidedly ancient (8271 FDC, issue 3) Beeb which should be heavily featured elsewhere in this mag, and was given to me some months ago. If it sounds as though I'm shooting from the hip on this one, it's because I am.
Christopher Chadwick, Wilts
Cowardly fence-sitter that I am, I don't intend to add my voice to this debate! Perhaps the best people to comment are those who own and regularly use both Electron and BBC machines with various filing systems. I know a fair number of you fall into this category so why not let us know what you think?
Will Watts, EUG #6
