Re: [Mingw-users] rename() funcion

[Keith M. <kei...@us...>]

On Friday 20 March 2009 05:14:22 Michel Boaventura wrote:
> We are relutant to put a windows function on PSPP just because this
> issue.

Well, that's a rather blinkered and myopic attitude, IMHO.  Even if 
you dislike Microsoft's function names, you can still easily work 
around the issues.

> Until now, the code is 100% compatible with both linux and mingw. 

And, it should not be difficult to keep it so, with minimal effort,
and a few well placed `#ifdef _WIN32', or similar conditionals.

> >I guess that this is a Mingw issue.

No.  It is normal behaviour on MS-Windows; MinGW has nothing to do 
with it, beyond its applicability to the MS-Windows platform.

> >C99 says the following about rename:
> >[...]

Completely irrelevant, in an MS-Windows context; Microsoft's own 
compiler doesn't claim, (and falls well short on), C99 compliance.

> >POSIX defines this behavior as [...]

Equally irrelevant; MS-Windows isn't POSIX.

> >Whereas Windows has a contradictory specification (see
> >http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/zw5t957f.aspx):
> >
> >   The new name must not be the name of an existing file or
> >   directory.

This is all that matters, in this context.  If you want to replace an 
existing file, by renaming a new one in its stead, then you have to 
move the old one out of the way first, (or use a function which will 
explicitly allow such replacement); MSVCRT's rename() function will 
not do that for you.

-- 

Regards,
Keith.