Thinstall
virtual filesystem is represented in 3 different stages:
1. The package build format. This format stores files directly on
the normal file system as they are to be compiled into the embedded
virtual file system. Folder Macros
are used to reprent Windows standard shell folder locations.
A
typical view of the virtual files in pre-build package format:
2. The embedded virtual filesystem (read-only). This filesystem is
embedded in EXE files during the build process. The read-only
filesystem may be compressed and provides block-based streaming to client
PCs.
3. The file system sandbox (read-write). This directory structure
holds file data which was modified by the application. Any file
modification operation will cause embedded virtual files to be
extracted to the sandbox, including:
·
Changing
a file's timestamp or attributes
·
Opening
file with write access
·
Truncating
file
·
Renaming
/ Moving file
Prior to building an application, you can adjust isolation modes on a per-directory basis
using ##Attributes.ini files.
Isolation modes enable you to specify weither the application is
presented with a merged view of the virtual file system or only see
virtual files. Isolation modes also control what happens when an
application tries to write to a directory.
Both the embedded and sandbox file systems uses Folder Macros to enable file paths to
dynamically expand at runtime.
