[rfc] (K)Urls and network paths on Windows

[Thiago Macieira]

Jaroslaw Staniek wrote:
>Hello,
>I've commited stuff (the last one is r826929) for handling Windows
> network paths like \\host\path\to\file in KUrl ctors, in the same way
> as absolute paths with drive letters. The KUrl objects created this way
> have file protocol, and network paths selected in, say, native file
> dialogs, work ok now. KUrl values of these dialogs can be used with KIO
> in apps without any changes now, because file KIO slave is used.
>
>This reminds me another set of small decissions we have to make.
>Anything like open()/fopen() works with network paths on Windows,
> because of deep integration of the proprietary local network
> infrastructure in the native API.
>
>1. So perhaps we could have KUrl::isLocalFile("\\\\foo\\bar") == true?

This should be using forward slashes. Internally, everything should be 
forward slashes. The conversion should happen on user input and output as 
well as OS API access.

>Such extended meaning of "local file" would have a number of
> implications, e.g. KUrl::equals() would work better, since "local"
> files are case insensitive. It's what we expect.

If, by "local file" you mean something that can be opened with open(2) or 
QFile, then yes, it should return true. Mind you that there should be 
also a mapping in toLocalFile and fromLocalFile.

>2. Patrick has mentioned that we could also map smb:// to
>file://-with-network-paths. Example benefit of such mapping is that on
> Windows we could share any configuration file coming from UNIX, where
> smb:// is used. Good for mixed environment in offices.

Good point, but not in KUrl. That's the wrong place.

The file ioslave has code to redirect to another ioslave if necessary, on 
Unix. I guess on Windows it'll be the other way around: the smb ioslave 
redirects back to file.

>3. Mapping for the opposite direction (\\ -> smb://) is already here
> IIRC (?) The only thing special for Windows in this case would be that
> our GUIs could display \\foo\bar paths instead smb://
>(of course by default, this can be altered by setting the forthcoming
>"Geek/Unix mode" :).
>
>Any comments?

I don't understand the third point. I don't see why Windows users would 
want to see smb:// anywhere.

Unix users don't use \\.

-- 
  Thiago Macieira  -  thiago (AT) macieira.info - thiago (AT) kde.org
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