PLAN FOR MOVING PREFERENCES TO NT CONFIGURATION MANAGER
Jon Newman 6/28/91

There are two possible ways we could move to CfgMgr:


(1)

If CfgMgr turns out to be too slow for use in WNetGetConnection, we
will have to retain the profile cache.  This means that the concept of a
"file image" remains, although we will want to read only the devices
component, rather than reading all components and then trimming out
components other than device connections.  Non-device parameters are
always accessed using QuickLoad and QuickSave.  Device parameters will
also be modified using QuickSave, but we will want a variant of
QuickSave that retains the device connection section so that we do not
have to reread it.

Under this plan, INI_PARAM::Load() is retained alongside
INI_PARAM::QuickLoad().  INI_PARAM::Store() is no longer needed.



(2)
If CfgMgr's performance is adequate for use in WNetGetConnection, we
eliminate the profile cache.  The concept of a "file image" is
eliminated, and the syntax may or may not be retained.  All loads and
stores go through QuickLoad and QuickStore.

Under this plan, Load and Store are no longer used; QuickLoad and
QuickStore may possibly be renamed to Load and Store.




One consideration is that we may still want working Win16 versions of
these APIs.  Retaining the file image syntax may help prevent divergence
in the Win16 and Win32/NT code.


At the C-wrapper level, we allow the PFILEIMAGE parameter to be NULL;
this corresponds to QuickLoad and QuickSave operations.  Under option
(2), the PFILEIMAGE parameter may be eliminated, or if not, NT will
always consider the file image pointer to be NULL.
