[Boost-users] Re: boost::filesystem -- handling dead symlinks

From: Matthias Kaeppler (nospam_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-02-21 12:16:25

Ben Hutchings wrote:
>> Or, less elegantly, you could always catch the exception in the 
>> procedure.
> 
> 
> Since the filesystem is normally shared with other processes which may 
> change it at any time, you should be prepared for file operations to 
> fail even if you check in advance that they should work.  So checking in 
> advance cannot substitute for exception-handling; it's extra programming 
> effort and may actually be slower than handling the occasional exception.
> 
> Ben.

I do both. However, for the problem I was describing, it's already too 
late when the exception is caught, because application flow terminates 
for a (IMO) minor reason at a point where I can't go back.
But of course, I still catch filesystem_errors on several occasions.

-- 
Matthias Kaeppler