From: Sam S. <sd...@gn...> - 2002-02-27 01:52:52
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> * In message <4ni...@rt...> > * On the subject of "Re: proposal: probe-file -- major behavior change" > * Sent on 26 Feb 2002 17:44:16 -0500 > * Honorable Raymond Toy <to...@rt...> writes: > > >>>>> "Sam" == Sam Steingold <sd...@gn...> writes: > > Sam> In CL, there is a big difference between a file and a directory. > > But a file is > > a named entry in a file system, having an > implementation-defined nature. > > so I'm not sure what the right answer is. I can't find the glossary > entry for directory. on unix, there is really no difference between "/etc" and "/etc/". in CL, there is difference between #p"/etc" and #p"/etc/" wrt the values accessors and other functions return. > >> So maybe someone really wants to know that /etc exists? > > Sam> so how is the user supposed to find out whether /etc is a file or > Sam> directory? > Sam> both CLISP and CMUCL have non-portable ways to do that. > Sam> I propose to make PROBE-FILE useable for that. > > I don't know. If CL doesn't specify a way to tell if /etc is a file > or directory, whatever you do is non-portable, so you might as well > make it non-portable. I prefer the occam's razor - do not multiply entities unnecessarily. if PROBE-FILE can be made to differenciate between the two, why invent a separate function? -- Sam Steingold (http://www.podval.org/~sds) running RedHat7.2 GNU/Linux Keep Jerusalem united! <http://www.onejerusalem.org/Petition.asp> Read, think and remember! <http://www.iris.org.il> <http://www.memri.org/> Even Windows doesn't suck, when you use Common Lisp |