From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: What is the canonical way to find out if a file exists (in g++)?
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 09:25:26 +0200
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On 6 Jan 2000, Hans-Bernhard Broeker wrote:

> Which is the major reason many have called the whole concept of 8+3
> alias names brain-damaged. A single file having 2 partly independent
> names, one of which can change randomly behind your back, in certain
> situations, is a major pain in the lower back, at times.

Actually, it's not unlike Unix hard links (except that link names
aren't changed by the OS, of course).

> It might have
> been better to just hide all non-8.3 names from DOS programs, right
> away...

I rather think that a slightly more user-friendly implementation would
be a better way of fixing this.  But even the half-hearted way it is
implemented now is better than what happens on NT.  So I guess I
disagree.