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From: Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>
Subject: Re: Directory listings and path names
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Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 14:28:22 GMT
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Kilgallen@SpamCop.net (Larry Kilgallen) writes:

> >> These are services of the Operating System, not of Ada (the programming
> >> language),
> > 
> > Says you!

Well, it's true...

>... I could argue the same about tasking.

You can argue what you like, but it would still be false.  ;-)

> > 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.

Nonetheless, the ARG is working on a directory operations package.

> 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.

Well, any interface-to-OS package has to be somewhat
"least-common-denominator"-ish, if it is to be portable.

- Bob