I've got an idea for a new project but would like some feedback from everyone before I get too far into it. I'd like to create a web (ie mysql/php or a wiki) database for the BeOS/Haiku. What I was thinking is creating a database that lists all the files found in the basic installs of all known BeOS flavors (R5/Dana/Zeta/Max/PhOS/Haiku). This database would allow users to lookup a file and get info on it such as where it should be located, what it's for, how to use it etc..
Mapping the system this way will help new users figure out what the strange file in /boot/beos/bin is and how to use it; it also will allow developers to best guage what is already on the system/where their new files should go and generally allow for exploration of the files that come with a distro without having to rely on the help of web forums and the community in general. Not that we as a community are unfriendly to new comers, but I know I get great satisfaction from finding out this stuff without a lot of help from others. I don't want to be draconian about this, just having it as a best practice/guide for people to help maintain some consistancy. Or just as a informational reference.
As a kin to this idea is doing the same for the mime types to centralize/standardize them to a "basic default" that may help troubleshooting. Seeing that Be and Haiku depend on the mimes quite a bit it would, IMHO, be good to keep a clean, well organized and basic listing of the core mimes for Be. Possably adding to this would be a way for developers to add there own to keep from running into dups, like Be used to do.
Please be as frank as filters allow. I would really like to know if the community would find this useful.
