the detailed folders returning incorrect data

[Richard Gaskin]

Paul Dupuis wrote:

 > In 8.1 dp-2 (and as far back as 6.7.11) if you get "the detailed
 > folders" and check item 10 (folder permissions) it is ALWAYS 777 under
 > Windows (8.1 at least) regardless of the actual folder permissions.
 > BUG RECIPE: Make a folder read-only and fetch the detailed folders of
 > it's parent folder.
 >
 > There is nothing in the Dictionary entry for "the [detailed] folders"
 > to suggest that permission are not supported under Windows. Does the
 > detailed folders return correct permission values on other platforms?
 > Is this a "bug"?

Possibly a documentation enhancement request.

My understanding is that Windows lacks true POSIX file-system-level 
permissions as found in Linux and in Unix flavors like macOS.

While it does have file attributes, I believe there is no 
file-system-level support for granting different rights to different 
users, and that the difference between users isn't managed in the file 
system, but in the OS layer above it.

If that understanding is correct, the POSIX permissions of "777" would 
seem an appropriate reflection of the dangerous state of files there.

That said, the descriptions for other items returned in "the detailed 
files" do a good job of noting platform-specific differences, so maybe 
an extra note for item 10 would be useful.  Even if it were just 
described as being POSIX permissions that would help folks understand it 
doesn't also cover Windows-specific file attributes (though perhaps some 
explanatory note below would help even more).

It may also be worth submitting a separate request to update the item 
listing in the Dict entry for "detailed folders", as the list there 
isn't numbered, and the numbers provided for "detailed files" makes 
using the returned list so much easier.


 > I'll happy make a bug report, but I wanted to check with others first
 > to see if there is something I have missed.

Better you than me. If I write it I'm likely to be unable to resist 
using words like "dangerous" when describing Microsoft file systems. ;)

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Systems
  Software Design and Development for the Desktop, Mobile, and the Web
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