Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #3877

Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories!

From	Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject	Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories!
Date	2011-05-09 18:09 -0400
Organization	Azteca atlatl
Message-ID	<iq9on2$vpq$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)
References	(1 earlier) <34va98-dgm.ln1@dagon.net> <ipvdfs$6on$1@lust.ihug.co.nz> <ipvfo5$o57$2@dont-email.me> <iq0glp$abc$1@speranza.aioe.org> <iq996g11ge7@news2.newsguy.com>

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On 09/05/2011 1:15 PM, Michael Wojcik wrote:
> Zapotec wrote:
>>
>> Whereas I recognize the technical and engineering reasons for requiring
>> the deeply nested long directory names, I also have to say I agree that
>> they can be a pain in the butt, on two counts:
>>
>> 1. Typing long directory names or click-click-clicking to deeply-nested
>>     folders is a pain, and will be required if you aren't using an IDE
>>     like NetBeans or Eclipse
>
> I often use vim to edit my Java sources, and I don't have to type long
> directory names or click-click-click, thanks to the magic of filename
> completion.

Completion again. People talk about it like it's a magic bullet, but 
it's not, especially when there are a lot of possible completions, which 
happens when there is a common prefix (like 
src/java/com/mylongcompanyname/mylongprojectname/dal) to a lot of the 
filenames.

> Not that typing long directory names would be any great burden, since
> entering a filename is a tiny portion of the work I do when producing
> new code or maintaining old.

Every little bit adds up, and time spent doing peripheral tasks is time 
not spent coding, testing, or debugging.

>> 2. On Windows, at least, it's not implausible to reach the path name
>>     length limit of the filesystem and run into even more headaches.
>
> Really? The NTFS path name length limit is 32KB, for applications that
> use the proper APIs, which seems like it ought to be enough.

And what "proper APIs" might those be, that for instance Microsoft's own 
cmd.exe and Explorer evidently don't use?

I might add that Java doesn't use these phantom APIs either, as 
evidenced if you try to use java.io.File/FileInputStream to read a file 
that exceeds a much shorter length. (Make a directory with a one-letter 
name in a drive root and a file with a name about 150 characters long in 
it. Then rename the directory to a similarly long name and try to access 
it with java.io ... boom! FileNotFoundException.)

> Even apps
> that use the old API get a path length of 260 ASCII characters, which
> requires some effort to exceed.

Not with Java's long/and/deeply/nested/package/hierarchies...

> If the problem is your Windows source directories are buried under
> some unreasonably long path (which probably also contains spacey names
> and other infelicities), just create a junction to it in some more
> convenient place.

Junctions are those funny-behaving versions of My Documents and such 
that are in Vista and Windows 7, right? The last time I checked, the 
user can't create those, at least not with the default set of tools 
available by e.g. right-click-and-drag in Explorer. There's just a few 
predefined ones that the operating system creates on installation, put 
there for compatibility reasons.

If Microsoft had been intelligent, competent, and capable of even decent 
copycatting, let alone true creativity, outside of the 
inventing-new-anticompetitive-dirty-tricks department, Vista would have 
included real proper symlinks, which you can click through in Explorer 
without getting error messages, and which would have been available on 
the right click menu: right click, drag, "Make symlink here". :P

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Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-05 02:31 +0000
  Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-04 22:36 -0400
  Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! markspace <-@.> - 2011-05-04 19:35 -0700
    Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-05 14:47 +1200
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Esmond Pitt <esmond.pitt@bigpond.com> - 2011-05-05 16:01 +1000
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-05 18:43 +1200
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-05 07:08 -0400
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Esmond Pitt <esmond.pitt@bigpond.com> - 2011-05-06 11:38 +1000
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-06 15:53 +1200
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 00:09 -0400
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Esmond Pitt <esmond.pitt@bigpond.com> - 2011-05-06 18:22 +1000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-06 22:07 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 06:58 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "javax.swing.JSnarker" <gharriman@boojum.mit.edu> - 2011-05-06 07:12 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! jebblue <n@n.nnn> - 2011-05-06 21:58 -0500
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "javax.swing.JSnarker" <gharriman@boojum.mit.edu> - 2011-05-07 03:18 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-07 20:28 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-05-07 19:53 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-08 14:00 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-05-08 07:50 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Paul Cager <paul.cager@googlemail.com> - 2011-05-06 06:34 -0700
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 12:06 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! 3x+rav4gan <3x7r4vag4n@fr0gs0up.x3l0n.c0m> - 2011-05-06 17:07 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 18:24 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! 3x+rav4gan <3x7r4vag4n@fr0gs0up.x3l0n.c0m> - 2011-05-06 18:25 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 18:34 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! 3x7r4vagan <3x7r4vagan@fr0gsoup.x3l0n.c0m> - 2011-05-06 18:40 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "Spock" <spock@starfleet.ufp.null> - 2011-05-08 01:42 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! 3x7r4vagan <3x7r4vagan@fr0gsoup.x3l0n.c0m> - 2011-05-07 22:29 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "javax.swing.JSnarker" <gharriman@boojum.mit.edu> - 2011-05-08 05:20 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "javax.swing.JSnarker" <gharriman@boojum.mit.edu> - 2011-05-08 01:40 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "3x7r4vagan" <3x7r4vagan@fr0gsoup.x3l0n.c0m> - 2011-05-08 06:39 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! 3x7r4vagan <3x7r4vagan@fr0gsoup.x3l0n.c0m> - 2011-05-08 05:45 -0400
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! jebblue <n@n.nnn> - 2011-05-06 21:57 -0500
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Esmond Pitt <esmond.pitt@bigpond.com> - 2011-05-06 18:31 +1000
  Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-05-04 22:02 -0700
    Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-05 17:12 +1200
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-05 07:11 -0400
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-05-05 10:56 -0300
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> - 2011-05-05 09:08 -0700
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> - 2011-05-05 17:13 +0100
  Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! dagon@dagon.net (Dagon) - 2011-05-05 09:16 -0700
    Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-06 11:56 +1200
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte-dot-net.invalid> - 2011-05-06 02:35 +0200
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-06 18:39 +1200
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 07:03 -0400
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! "javax.swing.JSnarker" <gharriman@boojum.mit.edu> - 2011-05-06 07:13 -0400
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-06 05:57 -0400
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Paul Cager <paul.cager@googlemail.com> - 2011-05-06 06:47 -0700
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 12:17 -0400
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-07 15:55 +1200
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte-dot-net.invalid> - 2011-05-06 18:19 +0200
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-06 17:10 -0400
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte-dot-net.invalid> - 2011-05-06 23:41 +0200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-06 18:26 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-07 15:56 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-07 03:20 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-07 20:28 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-07 07:50 -0400
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-09 13:15 -0400
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-09 18:09 -0400
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-10 13:43 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-10 11:54 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-11 14:02 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-18 07:58 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-20 12:35 +1200
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-10 11:48 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-10 23:47 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-11 08:51 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-11 20:44 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! RichB <rich_barnsley@nowhere.com> - 2011-05-12 16:13 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Snorkmeier <snorkmeier._10b@gmail.invalid> - 2011-05-12 08:21 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-12 08:21 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Snorkmeier <snorkmeier._10c@gmail.invalid> - 2011-05-12 20:04 +0000
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-18 08:00 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-18 11:31 -0400
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-10 13:46 +1200
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Zapotec <z_gib@wav.com> - 2011-05-10 03:44 -0400
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-10 11:55 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-11 14:02 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-11 08:56 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-18 08:02 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-20 12:33 +1200
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! rossum <rossum48@coldmail.com> - 2011-05-06 09:55 +0100
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-06 22:06 +1200
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-06 07:04 -0400
  Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Pitch <mail@fake.info> - 2011-05-11 10:53 +0200
    Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-11 08:57 -0400
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte-dot-net.invalid> - 2011-05-11 19:16 +0200
      Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Pitch <mail@fake.info> - 2011-05-12 11:02 +0200
        Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2011-05-12 08:28 -0400
          Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Pitch <mail@fake.info> - 2011-05-13 11:43 +0200
            Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Michael Wojcik <mwojcik@newsguy.com> - 2011-05-18 08:09 -0400
              Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! John Silverstein <js19375@ymail.cox> - 2011-05-18 11:33 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-20 12:36 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! John Silverstein <js19375@ymail.cox> - 2011-05-19 23:28 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-20 15:31 +1200
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! John Silverstein <js19375@ymail.cox> - 2011-05-20 00:19 -0400
                Re: Death To Sub-Sub-Sub-Directories! Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@geek-central.gen.new_zealand> - 2011-05-20 18:50 +1200

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