On 10-2-2012 13:42, michael.vancanneyt-0is9kj9s...@public.gmane.org wrote: > On Fri, 10 Feb 2012, Reinier Olislagers wrote: >> On 10-2-2012 13:09, Jonas Maebe wrote: >> 1. Renaming is not moving??? >> The help says: >> "RenameFile renames a file from OldName to NewName. The function returns >> True if successful, False otherwise. Remark: you cannot rename across >> disks or partitions." > That is exactly what Jonas said.
>> What does this mean, then? >> If you rename from e.g. /etc/b to /var/b, (and assuming they're on the >> same partition), you're moving the files from one directory to another, >> aren't you? > No, you are renaming them. I understand that you might be renaming them from a fs/OS standpoint as there is no actual file data being transferred... but to the user it has moved. >> If you cannot move files between directories at all but only rename >> them, the remark in the help does not make sense. > You can move them, if the directories are on the same partition. Exactly. To the user/programmer it looks as if they've moved (the fs really moved the pointer to the file data into another part of the tree). >> Maybe it helps if something like this is put there: >> "RenameFile renames a file from OldName to NewName. The function returns >> True if successful, False otherwise. Remark: this function can move >> and/or rename files from one directory to another, but you cannot rename >> across disks or partitions." > It seems to me you are confusing 'moving' and 'renaming'. I'd welcome a better suggestion for adding to the help file... > The function just renames. The result may be that the file ends up in > another directory, i.e. is moved. Mmm yes. To me that is arguing over semantics. Or maybe we're trying to say the same thing. I understand that's the way the underlying filesystem works (on Unixes at least), but that is not the case everywhere. E.g. Windows rename command help gives: Renames a file or files.[...]Note that you cannot specify a new drive or path for your destination file. So there, rename (the command at least) does NOT allow you to move files between directories. In other words, programmers coming from a Windows background might not expect that the renamefile command allows "moving" files between directories on the same partition. I do understand what Jonas & you meant (and I even understood the point about not being able to move*cough* rename files across directories from the help before writing to the list - just erroneously assumed /tmp and /home were on the same partition). My point is that it would help to expand the help a bit so that it's clearer. Then again, my Delphi-less background may lead me to strange errors such as these which people with a Delphi history may dismiss ;) >> 2. What is the function for "properly" moving files in FPC that also >> moves between partitions, if one exists? > > None exists. Thanks, I feared as much. Thanks for the help, you 2, Regards, Reinier _______________________________________________ fpc-pascal maillist - fpc-pascal@lists.freepascal.org http://lists.freepascal.org/mailman/listinfo/fpc-pascal
