openFile and text mode vs. binary mode

[Graham Klyne]

At 10:33 10/06/03 +0100, Simon Marlow wrote:
>     hSetBinaryMode :: Handle -> Bool -> IO ()

What (of any real value) is lost by fixing the IO mode at the point of 
obtaining the handle?  I'm guessing that having an option to change the 
mode later may at best create additional work, and maybe even create 
inconsistencies in behaviours on different systems.

#g


-------------------
Graham Klyne
<GK@NineByNine.org>
PGP: 0FAA 69FF C083 000B A2E9  A131 01B9 1C7A DBCA CB5E