Re: are directories files?

From: Ryan Stewart (zzanNOtozz_at_gSPAMo.com)
Date: 02/26/04

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    Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 06:27:43 -0600

    "Tum" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
    news:%8j%b.28510$ws.3207260@news02.tsnz.net...
    > Hi folks,
    >
    > I've been trying to make a decision and it's driving me crazy.
    >
    > Is a directory a file or is a directory NOT a file but a node?
    >
    > Should I have
    >
    > A)
    >
    > public interface IFile
    > {
    > IFileName FileName;
    > IFileContent GetContent();
    > }
    >
    > public interface IDirectory
    > extends IFile
    > {
    > }
    >
    >
    > or
    >
    > B)
    >
    > public interface INode
    > {
    > INodeName NodeName;
    > }
    >
    > public interface IFile
    > extends INode
    > {
    > IFileContent GetContent();
    > }
    >
    > public interface IDirectory
    > extends INode
    > {
    > }
    >
    >
    > Method A is nice cause IFile becomes the base "Node" type and you can use
    > names like "IFileName" which sounds nice compared to "INodeName" and fits
    > with the "FileSystem" moniker. A has the disadvantage that IDirectory has
    a
    > GetContent() method which isn't bad but can be considered a bit weird. It
    > probably wouldn't be too hard to make users think of everything as a file.
    >
    > Method B is nice cause IDirectory doesn't have GetContent() -- that honour
    > belongs only to IFile. B is at a disadvantage when it comes to naming:
    > everything becomes a "Node". INodeName sounds rude compared to IFileName
    > and it's a bit weird to have everything based on something called a "Node"
    > when the system is called a "File System" but this method feels more
    "pure"
    > in the OO sense cause you're specialising features completely.
    >
    > Do you reckon I can get away with Method A? It doesn't seem as pure
    unless
    > you spend a long time convincing yourself that (for all intents and
    > purposes) a file *is* a node (it's just got a different name) and a
    > directory *is* a file.
    >
    > A penny for anyone's thoughts...
    >
    >
    > ^Tum
    >
    Since java.io.File covers both files and directories, it's not exactly a new
    way of thinking.

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