XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-10   
   From: this@ddress.is.invalid   
      
   Chris  wrote:   
   > micky  wrote:   
   [...]   
   > > Displaying the date does not show you which file appears first on the   
   > > media.   
   >   
   > What does that even mean? I suppose on a spinning magnetic drive it may   
   > have had some meaning, but on a flash drive it is meaningless.   
      
     It's actually not the order/location of the files themelves, but of   
   their directory entries (name, size, etc.) in the FAT (File Allocation   
   Table) of a FAT (and FAT-32 and exFAT) file system. And those file   
   systems are commonly used on USB memory-sticks.   
      
     As said, just take any FAT-like USB memory-stick, do a 'dir' and see   
   the order, which will normally *not* be alphabetical (unless it was   
   created in alphabetical order.)   
      
   > > Some devices play songs in the order they are stored on the   
   > > media.   
   >   
   > I find that *very* hard to believe.   
      
     As mentioned, there are/were such devices, because it's much easier to   
   just read the FAT and play than to read the whole FAT/folder, sort it   
   (where to keep the result?) and *then* play them. Remember, this is not   
   just about computers with big memories, but also about hardware   
   MP3-players with tiny memories.   
      
     I had several such devices. Luckily I forgot which ones they were, but   
   I'm sure some of them are still in some drawer/box somewhere.   
      
   [...]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)