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On Fri, May 20, 2011 at 03:38, Tim Golden <Tim.Golden@cbsoutdoor.co.uk> wrote:

There's a thread on python-list at the moment:

�http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2011-May/1272505.html

which is discussing the validity of os.access results on
Windows. Now we've been here before: I raised issue2528
for a previous enquiry some years ago and proffered a patch
which uses the AccessCheck API to perform the equivalent check,
but didn't follow through.

Someone on the new thread is suggesting -- validly -- that the
docs should highlight the limitations of this call on Windows.
But the docs for that call are already fairly involved:

�http://docs.python.org/library/os.html#os.access

We seem to have a few options in increasing order of difficulty:

\* Do nothing - inform the occasional enquirer of the situation and
�leave it at that.

\* Update the docs to add something which describes what the function
�actually does on the Windows platform. (Whether or not we change any code).

I think we should tread lightly in the documentation area. We already have two note boxes, and adding a third probably scares everyone away. Maybe there should be a bullet list of considerations to be made when using os.access?

\* Apply the patch in issue2528 to 3.3 and maybe 2.7

I'd vote in favor of this. If we can be a bit smarter in determining os.access results, let's do it.

I haven't reviewed the patch other than 1 minute scan, but I'll put this on my radar and try to get you a review.