[Python-Dev] Re: os.path.commonprefix breakage

[Tim Peters]

[Greg Ewing]
> ...
> A trailing slash on a Unix pathname doesn't tell you anything
> about whether it refers to a directory.

It does if it's also the only character in the pathname <0.5 wink>.  The
same thing bites people on Windows, except even worse, because in UNC
pathnames the leading

   \\machine\volume

"acts like a root", and the presence or absence of a trailing backslash
there makes a world of difference too.

> ...
> The only sure way to find out whether a given pathname refers
> to a directory or not is to ask the filesystem.

On Windows again,

>>> from os import path
>>> path.exists("/python16")
1
>>> path.exists("/python16/")
0
>>>

This insane behavior is displayed by the MS native APIs too, but isn't
documented (at least not last time I peed away hours looking for it).

just-more-evidence-that-windows-weenies-shouldn't-get-a-vote!-ly
    y'rs  - tim