os.symlink()

[Nikolaus Rath]

"Diez B. Roggisch" <deets at nospam.web.de> writes:
> Nikolaus Rath wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> 
>>>From `pydoc os`:
>> 
>>     symlink(...)
>>         symlink(src, dst)
>>         
>>         Create a symbolic link pointing to src named dst.
>> 
>> 
>> Is there any reason why this is so deliberately confusing? Why is the
>> target of the symlink, the think where it points *to*, called the
>> `src`? It seems to me that the names of the parameters should be
>> reversed.
>
> I used the command the other day, and didn't feel the slightest confusion.
>
> To me, the process of creating a symlink is like a "virtual copy".
> Which the above parameter names reflect perfectly.

Is this interpretation really widespread? I couldn't find any other
sources using it. On the other hand:

>From ln(2):

,----
| SYNOPSIS
|        ln [OPTION]... [-T] TARGET LINK_NAME   (1st form)
| 
| DESCRIPTION
|        In the 1st form, create a link to TARGET with the name LINK_NAME.  
`----

>From Wikipedia:

,----
| A symbolic link merely contains a text string that is interpreted and
| followed by the operating system as a path to another file or
| directory. It is a file on its own and can exist independently of its
| target. If a symbolic link is deleted, its target remains unaffected.
| If the target is moved, renamed or deleted, any symbolic link that
| used to point to it continues to exist but now points to a
| non-existing file.
`----


Best,


   -Nikolaus

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