Vladimir Prus wrote:

Martin wrote:

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Vladimir Prus <ghost <at> cs.msu.su> writes: The current path implementation doesn't allow you to handle more than one type (i.e. winfs or posixfs). You can't store a registrypath in a fs::path since it can't handle a hkey.. root.

Why? Can't I put literal "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" in boost::path?

I don't think he's questioning that, but the case where you can use a HKEY handle as the root, for example: // note: not sure on exact calls HKEY hkCU, hkBase; ::OpenKey( null, "HKEY_CURRENT_USER", &hkCU ); ::OpenKey( hkCU, "software\\microsoft\\windows", &hkBase ); boost::fs::path regwin( hkBase ); // oops: error boost::fs::path spyware = regwin / "CurrentVersion" / "Run" / spyware_app; if( exists( spyware )) // does the registry key exist { // display the value std::cout << "removing: " << boost::fs::get_regval( spyware ) << '\n'; boost::fs::delete( spyware ); // delete the registry entry } Also, iterating through registry entries requires different API calls to that of iterating through files.

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Actually, I think it is very desired to have boost::path usable in more contexts than the filesystem. For example

fs::path base("http://my_site.org"); ..... get_file(base / "foo" / "bar") .....

would be great. But I'm just don't sure this requires all that drastic changes.

Why do you think it is a drastic change? Changing operations will not take much time since it is only to move the things inside "#ifdef BOOST_POSIX" and "#ifdef BOOST_WINDOWS" into separate overloads.

And #ifdef the overloads ;-) I don't think Win32 API calls can be compiled on Linux.

I really think that win32/posix distinction should say as it is. For other types of path, I'm not sure. I *think* that boost::fs::path can accomodate all of them. Of course, if you stick URL into boost::fs::path, the name 'native_file_path' becomes questionable ;-)

Why not have a class like std::char_traits (e.g. boost::fs::path_traits) that abstracts the API used by path. That way, you can have: template< typename CharT > struct posix_path_api { typedef ... file_handle; typedef ... directory_iterator_handle; static bool exists( file_handle ); static void delete( file_handle ); static directory_iterator_handle get_next( directory_iterator_handle ); }; This would then simplify the Win32/posix API problems and allow for internet_api, winregistry_api, etc. to be included, e.g. boost::fs::path< char, internet_api< char > > boostweb( "http://www.boost-consulting.com/boost" ); Regards, Reece _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/