Re: First timer: Finder Copy vs. cp
Re: First timer: Finder Copy vs. cp
- Subject: Re: First timer: Finder Copy vs. cp
- From: Michael Smith <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 03:11:40 -0700
On Aug 11, 2006, at 12:56 PM, Peter Bierman wrote:
At 2:36 AM -0700 8/11/06, Michael Smith wrote:
In particular, note that this is a new file; it is semantically
incorrect (regardless of your expectations otherwise) to mis-label
the file as having been instantiated at any time other than when
it was.
The "creation date", as understood by 22 years of Mac users, is the
date that the CONTENTS of the file were created.
Then it's maintained about as well in that sense as it is in the
other; try this little experiment:
- create a document in, say, TextEdit and save it to a file.
- check the "file contents creation" date.
- open the file
- destroy its contents (select all, cut)
- create some new contents
- save them
Note that the "file contents creation" time reflects the time that
the old contents were created, not the current contents, and thus in
this case the creation date refers to the container, not its
contents. It's only in situations where the container is in fact
*replaced* ("safe save") that you will see the creation date updated,
and that is an artefact, not intentional behaviour.
Strictly, the hair being split is "does copying imply duplication of
the contents, or the container"? By my reading of your argument,
you come down on the former side, but would like applications to have
some knowledge of the structure and personal relevance of the content
of a file. That last part's hard.
The file, as a filesystem object, is irrelevant to the user. The
user cares primarily about the contents.
Happily, the system stores lots of data that is "irrelevant to the
user". If it didn't, life would be very unpleasant. 8)
= Mike
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