Re: Diff: null device instead of empty file? [was: svn commit: r17181 - trunk/subversion/libsvn_wc]

Julian Foad wrote:
> Branko Čibej wrote:
>
>> Hm, yes, an external diff could have problems. I'd also call it
>> broken, though -- Cygwin's GNU diff can handle NULL. Unix programs
>> should have no problems at all, because for all they care, /dev/null
>> is just another file.
[...]
>
> I don't accept that diff programs should be expected to handle NUL:.
[...]

To clarify my position: I have done some general programming under DOS/Windows,
including stdio, in which I know it is easy to open and read "NUL:", but I have
less experience of the file-handle APIs that are (AFAIK) much more widely used,
and cannot definitively answer this question. From what little knowledge and
experience I have both as a programmer and as a user, my impression is that
devices (including NUL) would often not be supported.

I don't know what Branko's position of authority is on the matter. I reacted
based on the impression that he was as unqualified as I am; apologies if this
is not so.

- Julian

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Received on Sun Nov 6 23:04:25 2005