Re: [Boost-users] [Filesystem] Native Pathname Format

From: Hughes, James (jhughes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-09-03 04:35:57

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-users-bounces_at_[hidden] 
> [mailto:boost-users-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of 
> Edward Diener
> Sent: 01 September 2007 07:25
> To: boost-users_at_[hidden]
> Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [Filesystem] Native Pathname Format
> 
> Hughes, James wrote:
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: boost-users-bounces_at_[hidden]
> >> [mailto:boost-users-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Edward 
> >> Diener
> >> Sent: 31 August 2007 00:05
> >> To: boost-users_at_[hidden]
> >> Subject: [Boost-users] [Filesystem] Native Pathname Format
> >>
> >> I can not determine from the Filesystem documentation, nor the 
> >> reference documentation which comes with it, what is the 
> acceptable 
> >> syntax for the native pathname format. It appears one must 
> start the 
> >> native pathname format with //: in order for it to be 
> recognized, but 
> >> I can not tell from what appears to me to be very confusing 
> >> documentation whether this is so for the Boost Fileystem 
> >> implementation. This would mean, let's say under Windows, that 
> >> "c:\afile" would not be recognized but that "//:c:\afile" would be 
> >> recognized, as far as I can make out from the 
> documentation. It sure 
> >> is confusing IMO.
> >>
> >> Can anybody clarify how this works for Filesystem and/or 
> where there 
> >> is a clear explanation of how it works in the documentation ?
> > 
> > Take a look at the code itself - it's pretty self 
> explanatory. Native 
> > means precisely that - it uses the native OS format (which 
> reading the 
> > code is windows or posix in 1.33 - see the checker functions)
> > 
> > Boost/filesystem/Path.hpp
> > 
> > Have to agree on the docs though - very hard to read or 
> find anything 
> > you want, probably because of the TR1 requirement being 
> unreadable in 
> > the first place!
> 
> If the only way to use a Boost library is to study the code, 
> because the doc does not give me the simple explanation which 
> I want, then the library is not for me.
> 

There is the Boost docs project, but I am not sure how that all
works/purpose. I have found that even having to read source every now
and again (you don't have to for all the libs - some docs are very
good/easy to use!) is still quicker than implementation/test of your own
code. It's the age old problem - people who write libraries, generally
don't like to write documentation (otherwise we would all be technical
authors), and in many ways, are not the best people to write the
documentation in the first place.

James

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