Re: [boost] Making Boost.Filesystem work with GENERAL filenames with g++ in Windows (a solution)

Subject: Re: [boost] Making Boost.Filesystem work with GENERAL filenames with g++ in Windows (a solution)
From: Dominique Devienne (ddevienne_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-10-26 10:13:33

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 3:47 PM, Alf P. Steinbach
<alf.p.steinbach+usenet_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> On 26.10.2011 15:27, Dominique Devienne wrote:
> In a system where use of feature X creates trouble, and where 26 years of
> worldwide experience says that it's not necessary, it's not a good idea to
> encourage its use.

The fact remains that NTFS does support such paths (and it's not 26
years old), and there are (convoluted) ways to support them on Windows
(by some APIs at least) and some apps *do* need that support (on
Winsows, yes). Whether Windows Explorer can see those files are not
doesn't matter, as long as the app is functional. And if
Boost.Filesystem supported those long paths on Windows, all the better
IMHO. I don't see supporting a given feature as encouraging its use
either. All I'm saying is that a general purpose API shouldn't put
arbitrary limitations when the underlying plaftorm(s) supports a
feature, for "philosophical" reasons. Just let the platform error-out
when a given limit is exceeded. --DD