[WWdevel] File Manager and linebreaks

[Davide P.Cervone]

Folks:

Ken Appel's recent problems with uploading class list files suggests 
that there is an issue that might need to be addressed in the File 
Manager.  Currently, when text files are uploaded, their contents are 
save verbatim.  In particular, nothing is done to adjust line 
terminators for PC and Mac files to be in the unix form.  This may be 
the cause of some of Ken's troubles.

The question is, how should this be handled in the File Manager?  It is 
probably a bad idea to ALWAYS convert line breaks, as if the professor 
is uploaded an image, for example, this would damage it.  There are a 
couple of solutions:

	1.  Have a checkbox under the UPLOAD button that is "convert line 
breaks to unix format"
	     or some such wording, with a warning about not doing this for 
images or binary
	     data.  It could be checked by default, since most transfers would 
be text.

	2.  Have another action button on the right for "Convert Line Breaks".

	3.  Try to use the file's extension (e.g., .lst) and contents to 
determine if it is a text
	     file, and do the conversion automatically.  (Easiest for users, 
when it works, but
	     prone to errors.)

	4.  Some combination of the above.

What do you think?

A related question is should the File Manager try to be smarter about 
where you are putting the files.  For example, if someone puts a .lst 
file in the top level rather than in templates, should there be a 
warning about that?  If so, what are the filetype-to-directory 
mappings?  I know that .lst and set.def files should go in templates, 
and .pg files should be somewhere below templates.  What other files 
would people be uploading, and what are the restrictions on where they 
should go?  Is a warning sufficient, or should there be some sort of 
confirmation dialog box?

Davide