[boost] Re: Re: [filesystem] Operations predicates

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-04 20:31:10

"Iain K. Hanson" <iain.hanson_at_[hidden]> wrote in message 
news:1115224522.14534.633.camel_at_dev-ihanson.ct.uk.videonetworks.com...
> On Wed, 2005-05-04 at 10:36 -0400, Rob Stewart wrote:
>> From: "Beman Dawes" <bdawes_at_[hidden]>
>
>> How about this instead:
>>
>>    struct shallow_status_t { };
>>    extern shallow_status_t shallow;
>>
>>    status_flag status(path const &); // follows
>>    status_flag status(path const &, shallow); // doesn't follow
>
> I marginally prefer the separately named functions because behavioural
> differences to me say separate functions names whereas overloads imply
> semanticly the same but with different types.

That rationale is convincing enough for me.

>> (It occurred to me that including the term "symlink" is limiting
>> since not all OSes have "symlinks" that have (at least partly)
>> analogous concepts.  That means naming the function
>> "symlink_status" is similarly limiting.)
>>
> I think symlink is a fine name and whether an overload or separate
> function names the function returning info on a symlink is going to be
> meaningless on a platform that does not have the concept.

I'd prefer to think use of symlink_status() on a platform without symbolic 
linas ensuring that the code will be portable to other operating systems, 
and to future versions of the current operating system.

As an aside, I read recently a description of the next version of Windows, 
and it sounded somewhat like they might be adding symbolic links. Hard to 
say, however, as it was a marketing rather than technical description.

--Beman