From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2006-08-17T06:39:00+09:00
Subject: Re: How do I get the creation date of a file?

On Thu, Aug 17, 2006 at 04:06:39AM +0900, Justin Collins wrote:
> Justin Collins wrote:
> >
> >Ruby docs say:
> >
> >"Returns the change time for the named file (the time at which 
> >directory information about the file was changed, not the file itself)."
> >
> >-Justin
> >
> Oops, I forgot to mention that's for File.ctime:
> 
> File.ctime(file_name) => time
> 
> Returns the change time for the named file (the time at which directory 
> information about the file was changed, not the file itself).

That is, effectively, creation time (for a particular definition of file
creation).  It returns the time at which the file's listing in the
information for the enclosing directory changed, which basically means
when it was created within that directory.  Same difference.  I do think
the letter C stands for "change" in this case, though, not only in Ruby
docs, but in POSIX standards as well.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
"Real ugliness is not harsh-looking syntax, but having to
build programs out of the wrong concepts." - Paul Graham