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### 2678. `std::filesystem` enum classes overspecified

Section: 29.12.8.2 [fs.enum.file.type], 29.12.8.3 [fs.enum.copy.opts], 29.12.8.6 [fs.enum.dir.opts] Status: C++17 Submitter: Richard Smith Opened: 2016-03-19 Last modified: 2021-06-06

Priority: 3

View all other issues in [fs.enum.file.type].

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Discussion:

The enum class `std::filesystem::file_type` specifies a collection of enumerators for describing the type of a file, but also specifies (1) the numeric values of the enumerators, and (2) that an implementation cannot extend the list with additional types known to it (and by extension, the standard cannot extend the list in future versions without breakage).

These both seem like mistakes in the design. I would suggest we remove the specification of numerical values, and maybe also

- we allow implementations to add new implementation-defined value

- we replace `std::filesystem::file_type::unknown` with a value that only means "exists but type could not be determined" and use implementation-specific values for other possibilities.

Similar overspecification exists for `std::filesystem::copy_options` and `std::filesystem::directory_options`, where again precise numerical values are specified.

[2016-08 Chicago]

Wed AM: Move to Tentatively Ready

Proposed resolution:

1. Strike the "Value" column from:

   - [fs.enum.file_type], Table 145 Enum class `file_type`

   - 29.12.8.3 [fs.enum.copy.opts], Table 146 Enum class `copy_options`

   - 29.12.8.6 [fs.enum.dir.opts], Table 148 Enum class `enum.directory_options`.

2. Change [fs.enum.file_type] Table 145 Enum class `file_type` as indicated:

   > Constant | Meaning
   > `none` | The type of the file has not been determined or an error occurred while trying to determine the type.
   > `not_found` | Pseudo-type indicating the file was not found. [ Note: The file not being found is not considered an error while determining the type of a file. —end note ]
   > `regular` | Regular file
   > `directory` | Directory file
   > `symlink` | Symbolic link file
   > `block` | Block special file
   > `character` | Character special file
   > `fifo` | FIFO or pipe file
   > `socket` | Socket file
   > implementation- defined | Implementations that support file systems having file types in addition to the above file_type types shall supply implementation-defined `file_type` constants to separately identify each of those additional file types
   > `unknown` | The file does exist, but is of an operating system dependent type not covered by any of the other cases or the process does not have permission to query the file type The file exists but the type could not be determined