Invisible file issue now a real 'bug'

This WebDNA talk-list message is from

1999


It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 25577
interpreted = N
texte = I just ran into the first real problem with webcat and an invisible Icon_.I predicted this would happen some day, but I had no idea it would happen to me first, nor did I think it would happen so quickly -- but it has, and it's not a pretty sight ...I requested a template page I had written weeks ago. Until now everything was fine when accessing this particular template, no problems whatsoever.This template contains webdna code that uses [listfiles] to list all the files in a databases folder, and inside the listfiles context it uses [copyfile] tag to copy every file in the folder to an archives folder for daily backup purposes.Here's the problem:Before when I requested the page, my code ran fine. But this time the webcatalog acgi crashed instantly. I have since debugged my code and here's what I discovered:When I wrote my original code to list all the files in a databases folder, I did not try to weed out any invisible Icon_ files that the MacOS might place into that folder, because in all honesty I never knew the MacOS was doing this kind of thing.When I debugged my code the very first time, the listfiles context did NOT list a file named Icon_ in the databases folder -- because in fact it was not there yet. So I had no reason to write my original code with a work-around for this situation.But since then, the MacOS has apparently decided to place one of its invisible Icon_ files into this folder, and when webcatalog tried to copy that invisible file to the archives folder, webcatalog crashed instantly! I repeated this scenario 5 times before I finally 'figured out' what might be causing the problem ...So I went back and changed my code so that it would NOT copy the invisible Icon_ file to the archives folder, and the problem went away -- and everything began working properly again.How do you like that for a problem? MY old webdna templates work fine until the MacOS places an invisible file into a folder, then webcatalog crashes. Great. If webcatalog did *not* recognize these invisible files in the first place, this problem never would have happened.But now it seems that MacOS upgrades bring the possibility that old templates will posisbly crash webcatalog. Or maybe the next time instead of a simple webcatalog crash, someone's hard drive will get corrupted by webcat's attempt to [copyfile] an invisible Icon_ file to a location where it doesn't belong ...Like I said, it's not a pretty scenario.:(================================ Kenneth Grome, WebDNA Consultant 808-737-6499, http://webdna.net ================================############################################################# This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list . To unsubscribe, E-mail to: To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to To switch to the INDEX mode, E-mail to Send administrative queries to Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:

    
  1. Re: Invisible file issue now a real 'bug' (Kenneth Grome 1999)
  2. Re: Invisible file issue now a real 'bug' (Pat McCormick 1999)
  3. Re: Invisible file issue now a real 'bug' (Christer Olsson 1999)
  4. Re: Invisible file issue now a real 'bug' (Kenneth Grome 1999)
  5. Re: Invisible file issue now a real 'bug' (Dale LaFountain 1999)
  6. Invisible file issue now a real 'bug' (Kenneth Grome 1999)
I just ran into the first real problem with webcat and an invisible Icon_.I predicted this would happen some day, but I had no idea it would happen to me first, nor did I think it would happen so quickly -- but it has, and it's not a pretty sight ...I requested a template page I had written weeks ago. Until now everything was fine when accessing this particular template, no problems whatsoever.This template contains webdna code that uses [listfiles] to list all the files in a databases folder, and inside the listfiles context it uses [copyfile] tag to copy every file in the folder to an archives folder for daily backup purposes.Here's the problem:Before when I requested the page, my code ran fine. But this time the webcatalog acgi crashed instantly. I have since debugged my code and here's what I discovered:When I wrote my original code to list all the files in a databases folder, I did not try to weed out any invisible Icon_ files that the MacOS might place into that folder, because in all honesty I never knew the MacOS was doing this kind of thing.When I debugged my code the very first time, the listfiles context did NOT list a file named Icon_ in the databases folder -- because in fact it was not there yet. So I had no reason to write my original code with a work-around for this situation.But since then, the MacOS has apparently decided to place one of its invisible Icon_ files into this folder, and when webcatalog tried to copy that invisible file to the archives folder, webcatalog crashed instantly! I repeated this scenario 5 times before I finally 'figured out' what might be causing the problem ...So I went back and changed my code so that it would NOT copy the invisible Icon_ file to the archives folder, and the problem went away -- and everything began working properly again.How do you like that for a problem? MY old webdna templates work fine until the MacOS places an invisible file into a folder, then webcatalog crashes. Great. If webcatalog did *not* recognize these invisible files in the first place, this problem never would have happened.But now it seems that MacOS upgrades bring the possibility that old templates will posisbly crash webcatalog. Or maybe the next time instead of a simple webcatalog crash, someone's hard drive will get corrupted by webcat's attempt to [copyfile] an invisible Icon_ file to a location where it doesn't belong ...Like I said, it's not a pretty scenario.:(================================ Kenneth Grome, WebDNA Consultant 808-737-6499, http://webdna.net ================================############################################################# This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list . To unsubscribe, E-mail to: To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to To switch to the INDEX mode, E-mail to Send administrative queries to Kenneth Grome

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