[Boost-users] filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator quits on unreadable directory

Subject: [Boost-users] filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator quits on unreadable directory
From: Charles Karney (ckarney_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-10-02 16:42:24

Version: boost 1.36
Library: filesystem
Platform: Linux
Compiler: g++ 4.3.0

The increment operator in filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator
throws an exception when trying to enter an unreadable directory
(permissions, no-such-device, etc.).  Often (usually?), a user wants to
be able to skip the unreadable directory and continue the iteration over
the rest of the directory tree.

Catching this exception doesn't help because the iterator hasn't been
incremented and I couldn't figure a way to skip over the unreadble
directory.

The following modification of filesystem/convenience.hpp catches the
exception at a low enough level to allow the directory to be skipped
over.

Is there a better way of handling this?  Thanks.

--- /usr/local/include/boost-1_36/boost/filesystem/convenience.hpp	2008-09-30 17:34:10.000000000 -0400
+++ boost/filesystem/convenience.hpp	2008-10-02 16:40:43.000000000 -0400
@@ -239,10 +239,15 @@
       else if ( is_directory( m_imp->m_stack.top()->status() ) )
       {
         system::error_code ec;
-        m_imp->m_stack.push(
-          m_imp->m_no_throw
-            ? basic_directory_iterator<Path>( *m_imp->m_stack.top(), ec )
-            : basic_directory_iterator<Path>( *m_imp->m_stack.top() ) );
+        const Path& top = *m_imp->m_stack.top();
+        m_imp->m_stack.push(end_itr);
+        try {
+          m_imp->m_stack.top() =
+            m_imp->m_no_throw
+            ? basic_directory_iterator<Path>( top, ec )
+            : basic_directory_iterator<Path>( top );
+        }
+        catch ( ... ) { }
         if ( m_imp->m_stack.top() != end_itr )
         {
           ++m_imp->m_level;

-- 
Charles Karney <ckarney_at_[hidden]>
Sarnoff Corporation, Princeton, NJ 08543-5300
URL: http://charles.karney.info
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]