path: root/Doc/mac/libmacfs.tex

\section{\module{macfs} ---
         Various file system services}

\declaremodule{builtin}{macfs}
  \platform{Mac}
\modulesynopsis{Support for FSSpec, the Alias Manager,
                \program{finder} aliases, and the Standard File package.}


This module provides access to Macintosh FSSpec handling, the Alias
Manager, \program{finder} aliases and the Standard File package.
\index{Macintosh Alias Manager}
\index{Alias Manager, Macintosh}
\index{Standard File}

Whenever a function or method expects a \var{file} argument, this
argument can be one of three things:\ (1) a full or partial Macintosh
pathname, (2) an \pytype{FSSpec} object or (3) a 3-tuple \code{(\var{wdRefNum},
\var{parID}, \var{name})} as described in \citetitle{Inside
Macintosh:\ Files}. A description of aliases and the Standard File
package can also be found there.

\begin{funcdesc}{FSSpec}{file}
Create an \pytype{FSSpec} object for the specified file.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{RawFSSpec}{data}
Create an \pytype{FSSpec} object given the raw data for the \C{}
structure for the \pytype{FSSpec} as a string.  This is mainly useful
if you have obtained an \pytype{FSSpec} structure over a network.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{RawAlias}{data}
Create an \pytype{Alias} object given the raw data for the \C{}
structure for the alias as a string.  This is mainly useful if you
have obtained an \pytype{FSSpec} structure over a network.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{FInfo}{}
Create a zero-filled \pytype{FInfo} object.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{ResolveAliasFile}{file}
Resolve an alias file. Returns a 3-tuple \code{(\var{fsspec},
\var{isfolder}, \var{aliased})} where \var{fsspec} is the resulting
\pytype{FSSpec} object, \var{isfolder} is true if \var{fsspec} points
to a folder and \var{aliased} is true if the file was an alias in the
first place (otherwise the \pytype{FSSpec} object for the file itself
is returned).
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{StandardGetFile}{\optional{type, \moreargs}}
Present the user with a standard ``open input file''
dialog. Optionally, you can pass up to four 4-character file types to limit
the files the user can choose from. The function returns an \pytype{FSSpec}
object and a flag indicating that the user completed the dialog
without cancelling.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{PromptGetFile}{prompt\optional{, type, \moreargs}}
Similar to \function{StandardGetFile()} but allows you to specify a
prompt.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{StandardPutFile}{prompt\optional{, default}}
Present the user with a standard ``open output file''
dialog. \var{prompt} is the prompt string, and the optional
\var{default} argument initializes the output file name. The function
returns an \pytype{FSSpec} object and a flag indicating that the user
completed the dialog without cancelling.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{GetDirectory}{\optional{prompt}}
Present the user with a non-standard ``select a directory''
dialog. \var{prompt} is the prompt string, and the optional.
Return an \pytype{FSSpec} object and a success-indicator.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{SetFolder}{\optional{fsspec}}
Set the folder that is initially presented to the user when one of
the file selection dialogs is presented. \var{fsspec} should point to
a file in the folder, not the folder itself (the file need not exist,
though). If no argument is passed the folder will be set to the
current directory, i.e. what \function{os.getcwd()} returns.

Note that starting with system 7.5 the user can change Standard File
behaviour with the ``general controls'' controlpanel, thereby making
this call inoperative.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{FindFolder}{where, which, create}
Locates one of the ``special'' folders that MacOS knows about, such as
the trash or the Preferences folder. \var{where} is the disk to
search, \var{which} is the 4-character string specifying which folder to
locate. Setting \var{create} causes the folder to be created if it
does not exist. Returns a \code{(\var{vrefnum}, \var{dirid})} tuple.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{NewAliasMinimalFromFullPath}{pathname}
Return a minimal \pytype{alias} object that points to the given file, which
must be specified as a full pathname. This is the only way to create an
\pytype{Alias} pointing to a non-existing file.

The constants for \var{where} and \var{which} can be obtained from the
standard module \var{MACFS}.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{FindApplication}{creator}
Locate the application with 4-char creator code \var{creator}. The
function returns an \pytype{FSSpec} object pointing to the application.
\end{funcdesc}


\subsection{FSSpec objects \label{fsspec-objects}}

\begin{memberdesc}[FSSpec]{data}
The raw data from the FSSpec object, suitable for passing
to other applications, for instance.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{as_pathname}{}
Return the full pathname of the file described by the \pytype{FSSpec}
object.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{as_tuple}{}
Return the \code{(\var{wdRefNum}, \var{parID}, \var{name})} tuple of
the file described by the \pytype{FSSpec} object.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{NewAlias}{\optional{file}}
Create an Alias object pointing to the file described by this
FSSpec. If the optional \var{file} parameter is present the alias
will be relative to that file, otherwise it will be absolute.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{NewAliasMinimal}{}
Create a minimal alias pointing to this file.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{GetCreatorType}{}
Return the 4-character creator and type of the file.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{SetCreatorType}{creator, type}
Set the 4-character creator and type of the file.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{GetFInfo}{}
Return a \pytype{FInfo} object describing the finder info for the file.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{SetFInfo}{finfo}
Set the finder info for the file to the values given as \var{finfo}
(an \pytype{FInfo} object).
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{GetDates}{}
Return a tuple with three floating point values representing the
creation date, modification date and backup date of the file.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[FSSpec]{SetDates}{crdate, moddate, backupdate}
Set the creation, modification and backup date of the file. The values
are in the standard floating point format used for times throughout
Python.
\end{methoddesc}


\subsection{Alias Objects \label{alias-objects}}

\begin{memberdesc}[Alias]{data}
The raw data for the Alias record, suitable for storing in a resource
or transmitting to other programs.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[Alias]{Resolve}{\optional{file}}
Resolve the alias. If the alias was created as a relative alias you
should pass the file relative to which it is. Return the FSSpec for
the file pointed to and a flag indicating whether the \pytype{Alias} object
itself was modified during the search process. If the file does
not exist but the path leading up to it does exist a valid fsspec
is returned.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[Alias]{GetInfo}{num}
An interface to the \C{} routine \cfunction{GetAliasInfo()}.
\end{methoddesc}

\begin{methoddesc}[Alias]{Update}{file\optional{, file2}}
Update the alias to point to the \var{file} given. If \var{file2} is
present a relative alias will be created.
\end{methoddesc}

Note that it is currently not possible to directly manipulate a
resource as an \pytype{Alias} object. Hence, after calling
\method{Update()} or after \method{Resolve()} indicates that the alias
has changed the Python program is responsible for getting the
\member{data} value from the \pytype{Alias} object and modifying the
resource.


\subsection{FInfo Objects \label{finfo-objects}}

See \citetitle{Inside Macintosh: Files} for a complete description of what
the various fields mean.

\begin{memberdesc}[FInfo]{Creator}
The 4-character creator code of the file.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[FInfo]{Type}
The 4-character type code of the file.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[FInfo]{Flags}
The finder flags for the file as 16-bit integer. The bit values in
\var{Flags} are defined in standard module \module{MACFS}.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[FInfo]{Location}
A Point giving the position of the file's icon in its folder.
\end{memberdesc}

\begin{memberdesc}[FInfo]{Fldr}
The folder the file is in (as an integer).
\end{memberdesc}