Re: Invisible file issue now a real 'bug'
This WebDNA talk-list message is from 1999
It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 25581
interpreted = N
texte = >A bug in your code? Yes. A bug in Webcat? No. What you describe >is a coding style which is not adequately defensive.Wrong, no one knew about this until I found it and posted the facts to this list less than two weeks ago. If anything it's PCS's fault for letting this kind of thing out without adequately documenting the PROPER coding methods so we don't have to worry about MacOS invisible files being trashed by webcatalog ...Webcat should NOT recognize invisible files any more than webstar does! Webcat is not an expert OS manipulation tool, like ResEdi, it a CGI that's supposed to leave the OS alone -- and that includes invisible files placed on the drive by the OS.These files are invisible precisely because of the problems that will be created if anyone *except* an expert OS programmer messes with them improperly. That's why you don't see tools like ResEdit in the hands of most Mac users.It USED to take a tool like ResEdit to manipulate invisible OS files, but not any more, now all you have to do is hit the right webdna page across the internet to dsiable someone else's Mac server -- or maybe your own if you fail to understand that using listfiles around a deletefile or copyfile or movefile tag is okay without ALSO wrapping that tag in a [hideif [filename]^Icon] context ... >Our db >folders often contain backup copies of databases and other transitory >files. If you're writing a template that depends on the contents of >a folder actually being databases, you show nest a [showif >[filename]^.db] around your actions to make sure that you get ONLY >the databases.It wasn't just database files I needed to copy, it was all the VISIBLE files in that folder. >That being said, we had this problem too a little while ago too. A >file called Icon_ suddenly appeared in a folder we use listfiles on >to do various things. I'm not sure what causes Icon_ files to be >created, but I would be very interested in hearing a definitive >answer from someone. I thought it may have something to do folders >created after a certain rev of the MacOS, but it has popped up in a >couple old folders too...The MacOS does this, I don't know why nor do I care. If the MacOS has to litter the entire hard drive with invisible files in order to function properly, what business is that of mine? As long as my software doesn't muck with them I could care less.But now I learn that my software DOES muck with them! And it's not just ResEdit that does it anymore ... >We were able to get around the problem by deleting the invisible file >with [deletefile], and it hasn't come back in several months and a >couple OS upgrades.And when I deleted some of these files, that action trashed my hard drive, and I had to reformat it from scratch. I think you should consider yourself lucky that the same thing didn't happen to you ...================================ Kenneth Grome, WebDNA Consultant 808-737-6499, http://webdna.net ================================############################################################# This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list
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Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:
>A bug in your code? Yes. A bug in Webcat? No. What you describe >is a coding style which is not adequately defensive.Wrong, no one knew about this until I found it and posted the facts to this list less than two weeks ago. If anything it's PCS's fault for letting this kind of thing out without adequately documenting the PROPER coding methods so we don't have to worry about MacOS invisible files being trashed by webcatalog ...Webcat should NOT recognize invisible files any more than webstar does! Webcat is not an expert OS manipulation tool, like ResEdi, it a CGI that's supposed to leave the OS alone -- and that includes invisible files placed on the drive by the OS.These files are invisible precisely because of the problems that will be created if anyone *except* an expert OS programmer messes with them improperly. That's why you don't see tools like ResEdit in the hands of most Mac users.It USED to take a tool like ResEdit to manipulate invisible OS files, but not any more, now all you have to do is hit the right webdna page across the internet to dsiable someone else's Mac server -- or maybe your own if you fail to understand that using listfiles around a deletefile or copyfile or movefile tag is okay without ALSO wrapping that tag in a [hideif [filename]^Icon] context ... >Our db >folders often contain backup copies of databases and other transitory >files. If you're writing a template that depends on the contents of >a folder actually being databases, you show nest a [showif >[filename]^.db] around your actions to make sure that you get ONLY >the databases.It wasn't just database files I needed to copy, it was all the VISIBLE files in that folder. >That being said, we had this problem too a little while ago too. A >file called Icon_ suddenly appeared in a folder we use listfiles on >to do various things. I'm not sure what causes Icon_ files to be >created, but I would be very interested in hearing a definitive >answer from someone. I thought it may have something to do folders >created after a certain rev of the MacOS, but it has popped up in a >couple old folders too...The MacOS does this, I don't know why nor do I care. If the MacOS has to litter the entire hard drive with invisible files in order to function properly, what business is that of mine? As long as my software doesn't muck with them I could care less.But now I learn that my software DOES muck with them! And it's not just ResEdit that does it anymore ... >We were able to get around the problem by deleting the invisible file >with [deletefile], and it hasn't come back in several months and a >couple OS upgrades.And when I deleted some of these files, that action trashed my hard drive, and I had to reformat it from scratch. I think you should consider yourself lucky that the same thing didn't happen to you ...================================ Kenneth Grome, WebDNA Consultant 808-737-6499, http://webdna.net ================================############################################################# This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list . To unsubscribe, E-mail to: To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to To switch to the INDEX mode, E-mail to Send administrative queries to
Kenneth Grome
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