permissions api in directory package is useless (and possibly harmful)

[Johan Tibell]

On Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 2:13 PM, Duncan Coutts
<duncan.coutts at worc.ox.ac.uk> wrote:
> We need to think about a new better permissions api for the
> System.Directory module. The current api and also the implementation are
> at best useless and possibly harmful.

Perhaps there's something we can learn from the rearchitecture of
Java's file handling that's happening in NIO 2. They're overhauling
how files, directories, file systems, links, and metadata is handled.
They address things such as providing both a lowest common denominator
layer and platform specific "extensions".

See for example
http://javanio.info/filearea/nioserver/WhatsNewNIO2.pdf starting at
slide 17.

Cheers,

Johan