[boost] [filesystem] Feature or bug ? 'portable filenames', again.

From: Stefan Seefeld (seefeld_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-03-11 21:42:02

Hi there,

for the nth time I've seen this question on IRC, without being able to provide a solution:

"i'm having trouble with boost filesystem... when I call "
boost::filesystem::create_directory("/.test") ", I get the error "what(): boost::filesystem::path:
invalid name ".test" in path: "/.test""... how can I create a directory hidden with .?"

Since I have run into similar issues in the past, I'm taking this complaint to the list now.
Is there a solution for this issue ? Does anybody care at all ?

I find it very sad that due to this and similar issues users are turned away from boost_filesystem,
as they can't use the library with *their* choice of filenames that works fine on *their* platform.

The portability guide on http://boost.org/libs/filesystem/doc/portability_guide.htm lists
as rationale: "...applications which must be portable to a wide variety of platforms...".
However, how may people actually care for this level of portability ? Why should an ordinary
GNU/Linux (or Windows, for that matter) user care for OpenVMS compatibility ??

Thanks,
                Stefan

-- 
      ...ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin...