Thoughts? Comments? Opinions?

Issue 6525: [ENH]: FileReference subclasses
http://code.google.com/p/pharo/issues/detail?id=6525

Different types of files have different behaviors. Currently, we need to add
all those behaviors (e.g. #fileIn) to FileReference, even though they only
make sense with a fraction of instances.

I propose that we match the filename against FileReference subclasses. The
following is a conversation starter. It works with strings...

Usage:
'/Users/sean/start.st' asFileReference. "anStFileReference"
'/Users/sean/start.unknown' asFileReference. "aFileReference"
'file:///Users/me.st' asUrl asFileReference "not handled by current
implementation, will default to aFileReference"

For example, I can create a custom .st file subclass, with:
� StFileReference>>isClassFor: aResolvable
� � � � (aResolvable isKindOf: String) ifFalse: [ ^ false ]. "just a hack to avoid
DNU"
� � � � ^ aResolvable endsWith: '.st'.

Enhancing the following method will catch aString asFileReference, but not
e.g. aFileUrl asFileReference:
� � FileSystem>>referenceTo: aResolvable
� � � � "Answer a reference to the argument from the context of the receiver
filesystem.
� � � � � � � � Example: FSFilesystem disk referenceTo: 'plonk.taz'"

� � � � | referenceClass |
� � � � referenceClass := FileReference allSubclasses
� � � � � � � � detect: [ :e | e isClassFor: aResolvable ]
� � � � � � � � ifNone: [ FileReference ].

� � � � ^ referenceClass
� � � � � � � � fileSystem: self
� � � � � � � � path: (self pathFromObject: aResolvable).



--
View this message in context: http://forum.world.st/ENH-FileReference-subclasses-tp4643116.html
Sent from the Pharo Smalltalk mailing list archive at Nabble.com.