Re: Interpretation of extensions different from Unix/Linux?

["Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de>]

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:56:03 -0500, Randy Brukardt wrote:

> "Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> wrote in message 
> news:iavqqy3ue6ne$.uxihdofxdalx.dlg@40tude.net...
> ...
>> Latin-1 is a limitation that makes impossible to write OS-independent
>> programs. BTW, I didn't check it but I suppose that the GNAT implementation
>> is not even Latin-1, it is in fact UTF-8, at least under Linux. So it is
>> broken twice. Once per design, once by the implementation to fix broken
>> design.
> 
> Actually, the use of UTF-8 in this way is the recommendation of the ARG. We 
> have no plans of changing any of the file handling routines away from 
> String. We may add some Implementation Advice to make it clear that 
> implementations are advised to support UTF-8 encoded file names.

The problem is 3.5.2 which claims that Character is Latin-1.

(UTF-8 is a problem of its own in Ada. We need a private type with two
interfaces. One of Wide_Wide_String another of an array of octets. Ada
cannot provide this.)

>>>> 3. Even so it provides no way to get the name of the root
>>>
>>> Because it is OS neutral, and there is no independent concept of a root.
>>
>> An OS-neutral Ada.Directories would provide enumeration of roots. Any
>> usable Ada.Directories must have the concept of roots nodes.
> 
> Enumeration of roots is impractible on Windows, because every possible file 
> share would have to be included in such a list (including any that don't 
> have permissions to read). That would be impossibly slow, and pretty 
> pointless to boot. It also would cause problems with removable disks 
> (Windows gives a failure if you try to enumerate an empty floppy disk). I've 
> dealt with those headaches from our compiler installer, and I wouldn't want 
> to force them on other users of Ada.

Same to me. But it is required to make Ada.Directories any usable.

Presently I use Exists in a loop through "A".."Z" + "/". That works both
under Linux and Windows. Do you think that is *better*?! (:-))

> If you can't do it reasonably in Windows, it surely doesn't belong in 
> Ada.Directories.

The MS-explorer does not drop that nasty c0000013 pop up window when
started. From this I conclude there should be a way to.

Technically, it is certainly possible, for example (a bit exaggerated), do
system with "cmd" on "dir A:". If the output is "The system cannot find the
path ,specified." (in the current locale (:-)), there is no "A:". Repeat up
to "Z:"... (:-))

-- 
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de