K&R2 chapter 1, section 1.5.1 File Copying Question

[Jim Barlow]

Does anyone know why K&R2 uses the term "File Copying" at this point
(1.5.1)?
Also, in the K&R2 answers to exercises maintained by Richard Heathfield,
for Listing KRX113 Mr Heathfield repeatedly uses the phrase "text file".
This comes well before what I have understood to be "files" are
introduced in the book.

[santosh]

Jim Barlow wrote:

Does anyone know why K&R2 uses the term "File Copying" at this point
(1.5.1)?

It might more accurately be called as "stream copying". The probably use
the term file copying because under UNIX all devices are represented
as "files".

Also, in the K&R2 answers to exercises maintained by Richard
Heathfield, for Listing KRX113 Mr Heathfield repeatedly uses the
phrase "text file". This comes well before what I have understood to
be "files" are introduced in the book.

I suppose he is using the term "text file" in it's more commonly
understood meaning in computing, not it's C specific one.

[Jim Barlow]

santosh wrote:

Jim Barlow wrote:

>Does anyone know why K&R2 uses the term "File Copying" at this point
(1.5.1)?

It might more accurately be called as "stream copying". The probably use
the term file copying because under UNIX all devices are represented
as "files".

>Also, in the K&R2 answers to exercises maintained by Richard
Heathfield, for Listing KRX113 Mr Heathfield repeatedly uses the
phrase "text file". This comes well before what I have understood to
be "files" are introduced in the book.

I suppose he is using the term "text file" in it's more commonly
understood meaning in computing, not it's C specific one.

Thank you, that clears up the question regarding the K&R book.
I hope Mr. Heathfield will explain his comments in his solution in
Listing KRX113. That one still has me confused.

[Richard Heathfield]

Jim Barlow said:

Does anyone know why K&R2 uses the term "File Copying" at this point
(1.5.1)?
Also, in the K&R2 answers to exercises maintained by Richard Heathfield,

I don't maintain any such site, and have not done so for years (although
the site is still up, which is astounding since the account was closed
several years ago). The solutions are now maintained at this page:
<http://clc-wiki.net/wiki/K%26R2_solutions>
by the clc-wiki.net team.

for Listing KRX113 Mr Heathfield repeatedly uses the phrase "text file".

Only in an introductory comment which you can in fact ignore completely.

--
Richard Heathfield <http://www.cpax.org.uk>
Email: -http://www. +rjh@
Google users: <http://www.cpax.org.uk/prg/writings/googly.php>
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999

[Micah Cowan]

santosh <sa*********@gmail.comwrites:

Jim Barlow wrote:

>Does anyone know why K&R2 uses the term "File Copying" at this point
(1.5.1)?

It might more accurately be called as "stream copying". The probably use
the term file copying because under UNIX all devices are represented
as "files".

All devices, yeah, but not all streams (cf pipes, for example).

--
Micah J. Cowan
Programmer, musician, typesetting enthusiast, gamer...
http://micah.cowan.name/