Re: [boost] [filesystem] Major changes before standardization

From: Peter Dimov (pdimov_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-11-12 18:50:28

Beman Dawes wrote:
> At 02:26 PM 11/12/2004, Peter Dimov wrote:
>> We have two OSes in use today. Windows, which takes either path or
>> wpath, and POSIX et al, which takes only a path. If the user wants to
>> use something that is neither a path or a wpath, he must convert it
>> to one of those.
>
> Yes. Or more exactly, to "native_path_string_type" which is an
> implementation defined typedef, AFAWK, always to std:string or
> std::wstring.

I'm not sure that this is the right way to handle "dual" OSes, such as 
Windows NT. On Windows NT both string types are "native" from the API point 
of view. The library should not attempt to convert the path supplied from 
the user! This may or may not produce the desired results. The OS must be 
trusted to do the necessary conversion (it knows whether the filesystem on 
which the path resides stores narrow or wide names, and how to convert 
between them in this particular context).

"Single" OSes that only support... well, a single string type, will 
obviously need help from the library. :-)