Unix Programming - The Elements of Operating-System Style - Binary File Formats
Binary File Formats
If your operating system uses binary formats for critical data
(such as user-account records) it is likely that no tradition of
readable textual formats for applications will develop. We explain in
more detail why this is a problem in Chapter5. For now it's sufficient to note the
following consequences:
Even if a command-line interface, scripting, and
pipes are supported,
very few filters will evolve.
Data files will be accessible only through dedicated tools.
Developers will think of the tools rather than the data files as central.
Thus, different versions of file formats will tend to be incompatible.
To design the perfect anti-Unix, make all file formats binary
and opaque, and require heavyweight tools to read and edit them.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
