[boost] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: [filesystem] status()ifneitherfilenordirectory?

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-11 19:24:45

"Mathew Robertson" <mathew.robertson_at_[hidden]> wrote in message 
news:028101c554fc$b9c0cfc0$a901000a_at_mat...

>> Sure, but it seems like you can only use that facility on a system you
>> already have prior knowledge about. Part of that knowledge could come 
>> from
>> ::stat(), either directly or wrapped in a call to
>> boost::filesystem::status().
>
> Yes that knowledge _could_ come from status(), but for platforms that dont 
> support the named property, the implementation should return something 
> useful as a fallback.
>
> However,  is_blah()  should "do the right thing" on platforms which dont 
> support 'blah'

And we have done that where the "right thing" is obvious, such as "false" 
for is_symlink() on Windows. I'm not against adding more such "do the right 
thing" functions when we can figure out what the "right thing" is.

>> But if stat() doesn't report both S_ISDIR and S_ISREG true at the same 
>> time,
>> there isn't any way to practically implement status(), even if you buy 
>> the
>> argument that reporting both would be desirable.
>
> sure there is...  dont use stat() ...

Somehow query for the file system in use, and have a table of what file 
systems support reading directories? Try to open a known directory for 
reading?

Those don't seem practical to me. But stat() may give the correct results on 
at least some systems. I'll try Apple OS X to see what happens.

--Beman