On 09/12/14 21:13, Huge wrote:
On 2014-12-09, Tim Streater wrote:
In article , Bob Henson
wrote:

If you use Windows you don't need to fall back on Linux - there's
nothing Windows won't do.

Here's a good example of something that Windows appears unable to do.
Under OS X, if I use e.g. the Finder to rename a file or move it to
another folder on the same volume, any application that has the file
open simply updates its user presentation of the file's name/location.
Even Word and Excel manage it (somewhat to my surprise).

That's an artefact of the underlying Unix O/S.

Well yes and no...

The application has the inode (actual file, without the concept of a
name or path) open and does not care if any directory entries pointing
to that are renamed (unlike Windows which goes mental).

However, the rename() system call does not (can not) communicate any
change in one or more directory entries pointing at the inode to the
app. So that must be done on MacOSX by some higher level susbsystem
designed specifically to do so.

I wonder what it does with multiple hardlinks to the file? Unless
hardlinks are prohibited on MacOSX