[Haskell-cafe] Re: File path programme

[Peter Simons]

Ben Rudiak-Gould writes:

 >     1. Programs using the library will have predictable
 > (exploitable) bugs in pathname handling.

 >     2. It will never be possible to change the current weird
 > behavior, because it might break legacy code.

I completely agree.

Handling file path specifications as Strings is not a good
idea. A path should be an abstract data type -- I think we
all agree on that --; and if it were, it could be made an
instance of Show, and all would be well.

One argument against changing this has always been that it
would break legacy code (as if it were a huge problem to add
a 'show' call here and there). If GHC starts distributing
even _more_ (broken) path manipulation functions which use
String rather than something sensible, I fear that the
window of opportunity for ever getting it right is shut.

My suggestion would be to postpone distributing these
modules until it is clear that they do work, or until
someone has written something that does. The sources are
readily available in CVS anyway, if you need them.

Path handling is extremely tricky, especially if you want to
be portable. IMHO, the subject deserves more attention
before any of the existing solution should be labeled
"reliable" -- and that is what shipping the code with GHC
would implicitly do.

Just my 0.02 Euros.

Peter