Re: [boost] [filesystem] Should recursive_directory_iterator follow directory symlinks by default?

Subject: Re: [boost] [filesystem] Should recursive_directory_iterator follow directory symlinks by default?
From: Stewart, Robert (Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-02-09 13:15:26

Jeremy Maitin-Shepard wrote:
> On 02/09/2011 08:43 AM, Stewart, Robert wrote:
> > Beman Dawes wrote:
> >>
> >> I'd like to add an option to either following
> >> directory symlinks or not. Which should the default
> >> be?
> >
> > *nix follows symlinks by default.  One must use special
> > APIs to recognize and inspect symlinks.  I should think
> > consistency across platforms would be good.
>
> That isn't really true.  There isn't any POSIX function for
> recursive directory walking.  It is simply a matter of whether
> lstat or stat is used to check whether directory entries are
> themselves directories.  As one example, GNU find does not
> follow symlinks by default.

Right, but I meant that normal file APIs follow symlinks, so doing so during directory iteration would seem consistent.

_____
Rob Stewart                           robert.stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer, Core Software      using std::disclaimer;
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  http://www.sig.com

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