Re: Directory listings and path names

[Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen)]

In article <Pine.BSF.4.40.0201182253560.954-100000@bpr.best.vwh.net>, Brian Rogoff <bpr@bpr.best.vwh.net> writes:
> On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, M. A. Alves wrote:
>> On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, Andreas Valdusson wrote:
>> > If I have the name of a directory, and want ADA to get the names of
>> > all sub-directories of this one, how do I do? How do I get the
>> > contents of a specific directory (ie. the names for all subdirectories
>> > and files) and how do I know which of these that are sub-directories
>> > an which are files?
>>
>> These are services of the Operating System, not of Ada (the programming
>> language),
> 
> Says you! I could argue the same about tasking.
> 
> IMO, it would be a good thing if there were some sort of standard
> directory package. I know, someone will argue that file systems are
> different. Oh yeah? So are the multitasking capabilities of various OSes.

But a subset of multitasking capabilities has been chosen as being
adequate for Ada programs. Declaring a similar subset for files is
more difficult because files are used for communication with other
components of the computing environment.

Do I want only files that are present on the system or should shelved
files in that directory be included ?  How do I access only the third
newest version (VMS terminology - someone else can translated it into
partitioned data set terminology for IBM machines).    Which of those
file operations are viable on magnetic tape, and which are restricted
to disk files.