Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: encapsulating directory operations
Date: Sat, 24 May 2025 22:10:59 -0700
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 49
Message-ID: <86r00dtgv0.fsf@linuxsc.com>
References: <100h650$23r5l$1@dont-email.me>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Injection-Date: Sun, 25 May 2025 07:11:08 +0200 (CEST)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="2c1fdddb57f3de11def8f91286a2bf6b"; logging-data="1290401"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX181Ix4alPNanGmWVlvw8rizrZUwg1pyMa4="
User-Agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.4 (gnu/linux)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:tIPwFohMU/RG1EhF3Co68APxXds= sha1:OJGCkmKhnjBkLLwPxqSKnqhDgAE=
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.c:393590

"Paul Edwards" <mutazilah@gmail.com> writes:

> Someone (Jean-Marc) wrote some "folder" routines which I like a lot.
> You can see them here:
>
> https://sourceforge.net/p/pdos/gitcode/ci/master/tree/hwzip/folder.c
>
> And in essence, when you read from a directory, the only
> thing you get is the filename.  If it is actually a subdirectory,
> then that is indicated with a "/" at the end of the filename.
>
> [elaboration]
>
> Any thoughts (besides "get a life!")?

I offer the following items of advice, after reading many of
the postings in this thread.

Stop thinking about what is faithful to the spirit of C90.
All that matters is whether you think a feature or language
construct is consistent with what you think of as C90.
Nothing else.

If you want to describe a language change, or addition,
write a description in the style of a section of the
ISO C standard, from section 6 or before.  (Personally I
think the writing in C99 or C11 is a little better
than the writing in C90, but make a choice about which
one you prefer and stick to it.)

If you want to describe additional library functionality,
write a description in the style of a section of the ISO C
standard, from section 7.

Learn how to write more clearly, more concisely, and more
effectively in terms of communicating your thoughts to
others.  Write to convey, not to convince.

Make all of the above your immediate priority, and nothing
else, until descriptions of any and all new features and
language constructs are complete.

Don't give any feedback on the advice given here, whether you
think it's good or it's bad or whatever.  If you don't want to
follow it, don't follow it;  it makes no nevermind to me, nor I
expect to anyone else.  (And it is my request that no one else
discuss it either, because doing so is worse than just a waste
of time but actually counterproductive.  This thread has gone
on way too long already.)