[boost] Re: Boost.Filesystem: naming, canonical path

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-08-10 19:27:35

Thomas Witt <witt_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Dave,
>
> Beman Dawes wrote:
>> At 08:06 PM 8/9/2003, David Abrahams wrote:
>>  >
>>  >I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think the cure for someone being
>>  >confused about the term "absolute" on multi-root OSes is to pick the
>>  >definition that allows the term to be meaningful (an absolute path
>>  >identifies a specific location, and so must include the root) and *add
>>  >a clarifying note or definition for the corner case*, not to pick some
>>  >new term which nobody knows about and makes the library hard to
>>  >approach.
>
> The problem is not someone who is confused. The problem are a
> potentionally significant number of users who are sure they know
> what they are doing, but don't. A clarifying note won't be much use
> to them, cause for them there seems to be nothing that needs
> clarification. 

I understand what you're saying.  Picking a portable/generic path
format which always made absolute paths start with "/" would have been
an easier way to keep people from heading happily down the wrong path.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com