Re: [boost] [filesystem] file monitoring

Subject: Re: [boost] [filesystem] file monitoring
From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-10-23 09:04:02

On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Carlos Rafael Giani <
e0325834_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> is a file monitor feature planned for boost.filesystem? I have been looking
> for a platform independent solution, but there is none (except in toolkits
> like Qt). Also, so far only inotify (a subsystem in the Linux kernel) can
> tell me when a file is closed after writing, which is absolutely necessary
> when watching a plugins/ directory, for example (you don't want to touch the
> plugins when they're only halfway copied). Several tools watch the plugin
> directory, but don't care if the plugins are being written or are fully
> there already. This can lead to instabilities.
>
> I think it is only logical to add this to boost.filesystem, something like
> set_monitor_callback(pathname, function_object);
>
> any thoughts?

It's an interesting idea.

If you'd care to design such a feature, I'd be very interested in working
with you. Right now all my filesystem effort is going into version 3 work
and keeping up with bug reports. So I don't have the time to research how it
could be specified such that it can be implemented on both Windows and POSIX
systems.

Thanks,

--Beman