Re: [Boost-users] [filesystem] wpath and fopen() on windows

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [filesystem] wpath and fopen() on windows
From: Paul (elegant_dice_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-02-15 01:05:32

On 12 February 2010 07:50, OvermindDL1 <overminddl1_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 4:36 PM, Paul <elegant_dice_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> >
> >
> > On 11 February 2010 06:19, OvermindDL1 <overminddl1_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> >>
> >> On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 7:21 AM, Paul <elegant_dice_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
 >
> > This sounds like interacting with many C programs that open files could
> be a
> > big problem...
> >
> > Take for example, zlib
> > http://zlib.net/manual.html#Gzip
> >
> > fs::wpath my_path = whatever;
> >
> > gzFile f = gzopen( my_path.NARROW(), "r" );
> >
> > ??
> >
> > In zlib's case, I might be saved because I can call gzopen on a
> > file-descriptor, but there are other libraries (one of which I am using)
> > that will only accept a char* filename...
> >
> > What do I do?
>
> You should submit a patch to fix those libraries to accept a file
> handle instead of a file name, file handles are universal and work
> properly everywhere, but yes, the C function calls can break horribly
> on, say, a Japanese regional Windows computer (of which one of my
> friends is and has set up, I love testing my programs on it to make
> sure they still work).  Any library that accepts only 8-bit character
> filenames is broken, they did not take into account regionalization at
> all and need patches to be fixed (hence they should have something
> that accepts a file handle since those *always* work, or at the very
> least accept wide and narrow filenames).
>
> But yes, do know that Windows 2000 and higher uses wchar natively for
> *ALL* filesystem functions so it can support regionalization.
>
>
Ok so ... I have a wpath, and an interface that looks something like this:

xyz.openFile( const char* name );
xyz.openFileDesc( int fd );
xyz.openFileHandle( FILE * file );

How do I go from a wpath to a filedescriptor?
This doesn't work:

fs::ifstream file( path );
xyz.openFileDesc( file.fd() );

?  I've Googled with no luck...

thanks,
Paul