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in reply to Re^2: How to copy/cut and paste files without using modules ?
in thread How to copy/cut and paste files without using modules ?

That's a whole lot of BS..... If you are going to say BS then I say nonsense!

I would prefer that we do not use these terms like BS and nonsense. That is not a civilized discussion.

A directory entry is a name which points to a "set of bits".
There can be more than one directory entry that points to the same "set of bits".

"unlink" means disconnect name "x" to a particular set of bits. In Perl lingo, perhaps you could think of it like deleting a hash key. There could be another hash key which points to the same "value".

Oh, I'm trying to understand...
Stop pretending that directory entries aren't called files.
I said that directory entries are pointers to files.
Unlink-ing a directory entry does not delete the file.
It just deletes the pointer to the file.
In this case, the "file" will be "gone" when all references to it are gone. This is the unix file system link count and similar Perl reference counting.

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Re^4: How to copy/cut and paste files without using modules ?
by ikegami (Patriarch) on Oct 20, 2011 at 08:02 UTC

    I said that directory entries are pointers to files.

    Again, stop pretending that directory entries, the pointers, aren't called files. It's BS. It's nonsense. It's whatever other you'd rather I use instead.

    I know how unlink works. It was totally irrelevant the first time, no less the second.

Re^4: How to copy/cut and paste files without using modules ?
by Anonymous Monk on Oct 20, 2011 at 08:08 UTC

    I would prefer that we do not use these terms like BS and nonsense. That is not a civilized discussion.

    This is a tough situation.

    On the one hand, you yell at the op:

    A common misperception is that a file "exists within a directory". No!

    But this is exactly how it works, despite the actual implementation details.

    A file exists within a folder, that is why they are called files and folders, this is the model .

    So yes, if you're going to yell at someone and correct someone for using the same model everyone is taught, yes, this is bullshit.

      A file exists within a folder
      You are unfortunately mistaken. A file exists on a disk and is being pointed to from a folder.

        You are unfortunately mistaken. A file exists on a disk and is being pointed to from a folder.

        No, you merely didn't understand what I wrote.

        Files/folder is a conceptual model/metaphor is based on real http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_folders.

        So yes, files do reside in folders, regardless of the actual implementation details which Marshall describes