[Python-Dev] Adding the 'path' module (was Re: Some RFE for review)

[Skip Montanaro]

    Phillip> ... but have a different name (like the 'parent' property that
    Phillip> is os.path.dirname in disguise) ...

    Phillip> ... (like the 'listdir()' method that returns full paths rather
    Phillip> than just filenames).

    Skip> To the extent that the path module tries to provide a uniform
    Skip> abstraction that's not saddled with a particular way of doing
    Skip> things (e.g., the Unix way or the Windows way), I don't think this
    Skip> is necessarily a bad thing.

    Phillip> I'm confused by your statements.  First, I didn't notice the
    Phillip> path module providing any OS-abstractions that aren't already
    Phillip> provided by os.path.  Second, using inconsistent and confusing
    Phillip> names is pretty much always a bad thing.  :)

Sorry, let me be more explicit.  "dirname" is the Unix name for "return the
parent of this path".  In the Windows and Mac OS9 worlds (ignore any
possible Posix compatibility for a moment), my guess would be it's probably
something else.  I suspect listdir gets its "return individual filenames
instead of full paths" from the semantics of the Posix opendir/readdir/
closedir functions.  If it makes more sense to return strings that represent
full paths or new path objects that have been absolute-ified, then the minor
semantic change going from os.path.listdir() to the listdir method of
Jason's path objects isn't a big problem to me.

Skip