Re: A Batteries API specification (was Re: LuaDEAL - Lua DEad Alive Libraries)

[nobody <nobody+lua-list@...>]

On 21/01/2020 06.38, Sean Conner wrote:
> Okay, let's see if the community can just come together to define the
> minimum viable module for directory functions. […]
>
> 	cat = list([name])
>
> 		Obtain a list of files in the given directory; if not given,
> 		use the current working directory.  Return an array of
> 		names, or nil on error (error reporting TBD).
>
> 		NOTE: 	The ordering of entries is unspecified.
> 			None of modules I've listed have this specific
> 			functionality.
>
> 	fun,state,var = glist([name])
>
> 		Returns an interator (function, state, var) for use in a for
> 		statement.  Each time the function is called, a new filename
> 		is returned.
>
> 		NOTE:	The ordering of entries is unspecified.
> 			All three modules have this function, although
> 			it's called files() under luaposix.

What should happen with '.' and '..'?

Should they be excluded?  This would potentially (extremely rarely)
cause confusion on file systems which lack one and/or(?) the other when
someone blindly assumes that they exist.

Or should they be included, leading to fun for/if layers everywhere
(>99.999…%) (or custom ad-hoc wrapper functions) because you don't want
them when doing… practically everything?  (I guess that's also a fun
learning experience for beginners of all proficiencies everywhere, when
they're first trying to do a recursive traversal…)

-- nobody