The basic idea of WFS seems to be that files will be accessed by content/keywords rather than by heiarchial name. e.g. "Get me last Thursday's notes on manufacturing controlled substances" instead of OPEN:C:\METHLAB\20040909\MethProductionQuota.DOC. The argument is that as the number of files on individual PCs has grown into the tens of thousands, it has become increasingly difficult to find a desired file in the traditional heiarchial organization. At various times WFS (which has had several names) has been proposed as an actual file system with unique file structures and/or an access API different from the existing DOS/Windows file accessing. The most recent incarnation appears to be a superstructure over an existing file system -- probably NTFS.
Other approaches to the file organization problem have been proposed and even implemented from time to time but have not acheived broad usage. Examples: Lotus Magellan; various desktop search products; Yale Universitiy's Lifestreams project.
Return To Index Copyright 1994-2008 by Donald Kenney.