libraries and the command line

[freedomdoc]

I am a long time programmer and computer science professor, since 1979.
I grew up with the command line and like it just fine.
But Windows 7 seems to change the GUI way of doing things and not mess with the command line.

Yesterday I was at the command prompt and went to C:\users\Stockwell
and then did a "dir". I saw several directories, but there was no "My Documents" listed. I did
cd "My Documents"
and it worked!
Then I copied over several .xls files from a USB key. I did a dir to see them.
It showed nothing!
Then I ran Excel 2003 (I can't stand Office '07!) to open them -- and they all showed up in My Documents and I opened them.
What the hell gives here?

 

[Jacee]

Did you create another folder called 'My Documents' ? If you did, I would think it would be listed under Documents. (click the arrow next to Documents)

I created a 'My Pictures' folder

 

[Jacee]

Command line reference A-Z List

 

[freedomdoc]

Did you create another folder called 'My Documents' ? If you did, I would think it would be listed under Documents. (click the arrow next to Documents)

I created a 'My Pictures' folder

No, I did not create any new directory there.

But it looks like the Documents dir is linked to "My Documents".

I find this totally uncalled for, and causing unneeded confusion.

 

[logicearth]

"My Documents" what you see in Explorer is a localized name for "Documents" as it is in the file system. When you did a "dir" of your user directory, there was a "Documents" folder correct? That is what you want. Now there is a "My Documents" folder that exists in your user directory, however, it is merely a junction that points to "Documents". So anything you put there will go to "Documents" but you cannot get a directory listing from it. That is why "dir" did not show anything, Excel did because it was looking in the real location.

 

[WindowsStar]

"My Documents" what you see in Explorer is a localized name for "Documents" as it is in the file system. When you did a "dir" of your user directory, there was a "Documents" folder correct? That is what you want. Now there is a "My Documents" folder that exists in your user directory, however, it is merely a junction that points to "Documents". So anything you put there will go to "Documents" but you cannot get a directory listing from it. That is why "dir" did not show anything, Excel did because it was looking in the real location.

+1

 

[freedomdoc]

"My Documents" what you see in Explorer is a localized name for "Documents" as it is in the file system. When you did a "dir" of your user directory, there was a "Documents" folder correct? That is what you want. Now there is a "My Documents" folder that exists in your user directory, however, it is merely a junction that points to "Documents". So anything you put there will go to "Documents" but you cannot get a directory listing from it. That is why "dir" did not show anything, Excel did because it was looking in the real location.

This type of system behavior is bothersome to me. Sometimes I would rather just stay in Linux where things are understandable (and standard!).

Speaking of that -- does Windows 7 Pro offer virtualization? Or is that only available in their Ultimate version?

 

[logicearth]

You mean virualization as in Windows Virtual PC that will run on all versions? Yes.
Download details: Windows Virtual PC

Why don't you stay with Linux then if you cannot understand Windows?

 

[freedomdoc]

You mean virualization as in Windows Virtual PC that will run on all versions? Yes.
Download details: Windows Virtual PC

Why don't you stay with Linux then if you cannot understand Windows?

My point is that I do not understand the need for aliases for directories; seems unnecessary and a source of confusion.

I was writing programs, including language compilers, LONG before there WAS a "windows". Back then you had to write programs, you could not buy them. So I wrote a terminal program to allow logging on to remote systems (this was in 1980), and thousands of other programs (many compiled by the compiler I wrote). So, it is disingenuous to insinuate that I "don't understand Windows".

Thanks for the link on the virtual PC.

 

[WindowsStar]

You mean virualization as in Windows Virtual PC that will run on all versions? Yes.
Download details: Windows Virtual PC

Why don't you stay with Linux then if you cannot understand Windows?

My point is that I do not understand the need for aliases for directories; seems unnecessary and a source of confusion.

I understand and agree that this is confusing, however it is done to keep compatibly with older software, so every program out there does not have to be completely re-written just to use Windows 7.

I was writing programs, including language compilers, LONG before there WAS a "windows". Back then you had to write programs, you could not buy them. So I wrote a terminal program to allow logging on to remote systems (this was in 1980), and thousands of other programs (many compiled by the compiler I wrote). So, it is disingenuous to insinuate that I "don't understand Windows".

I don't think anyone really understands Windows even the programmers. There are just too many lines of code now-a-days. I continually find new things in software that is 10 years old; example is working with an old Exchange 2000 email system. I was asked about doing some fancy email stuff like you can in Exchange 2010 and I told them you cannot do it in Exchange 2000, when it was designed no-one thought about doing that. Well after some googling and looking around at the Exchange 2000 system there was a way to do what they wanted, it was just burred and really unknown. I called a few of my Exchange Experts (all they do is Exchange) and they never knew about it either. - Just my two cents.

 

[logicearth]

My point is that I do not understand the need for aliases for directories; seems unnecessary and a source of confusion.

It is used for old broken applications that hard code the paths from previous versions in Windows. For example, in Windows XP the directory you would be looking for is "C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\My Documents". But in Windows Vista/7 they changed the paths to "C:\Users\[username]\Documents". This has the side-effect of breaking those applications that hard coded the old path.

If directory aliases was not necessary, symlinks would not exist. Junctions is just a form of symlinks.

 

[freedomdoc]

Well, now I have found (via google search) a way to disable Windows 7 libraries. Perhaps with that, I would not have needed to start this thread.

But on the virtual memory PC, it appears I need more RAM. (I just have 1G, which I thought should be plenty). Bloatware reigns!

 

[logicearth]

Well, now I have found (via google search) a way to disable Windows 7 libraries. Perhaps with that, I would not have needed to start this thread.

No. Libraries has nothing at all to do with this. Libraries are not even accessible from the command-line, it is strictly an Explorer abstraction. 1 GB of memory is not enough to run a virtual machine and the host computer comfortably at the same time. And it has nothing to do with bloatware.

 

[freedomdoc]

Well, now I have found (via google search) a way to disable Windows 7 libraries. Perhaps with that, I would not have needed to start this thread.

No. Libraries has nothing at all to do with this. Libraries are not even accessible from the command-line, it is strictly an Explorer abstraction. 1 GB of memory is not enough to run a virtual machine and the host computer comfortably at the same time. And it has nothing to do with bloatware.

Au contraire, in Linux I can run vmware and have virtual machines with the same 1G.
Windows is almost the definition of bloatware.

 

[logicearth]

Then run Linux* already since obviously it has magical powers!
* Distribution of Linux is what is meant, Linux itself is just a Kernal. Windows is a Distribution.