The link() Function

[iwato]

QUESTION: The link( ) function creates something called a hard link. The discussion surrounding the link( ) function bespeaks soft links. What is the difference, and to what end would one use either?Could someone please provide a code example of how a hard link is used?Roddy

[boen_robot]

A soft (symbolic) link is like a shortcut on Windows - you have a location on your hard drive that points to a certain other location. Upon following it, you arrive to the "real" location. In other words, you have "1 path = 1 file/folder".A hard link is more like a file/folder-to-HDD mapping. You have one or more paths. On early Windows versions, you have a "1 file/folder = 1 HDD location". On UNIX, and from Windows Vista on, you instead have a "N files/folders = 1 HDD location".So, by creating a hard link, you're creating another file/folder that points to the same HDD location as pointed by the other file/folder you specify during the creation.Now... where's the benefit you may ask? A hard link is treated the same as the original file/folder. It actually becomes another original file/folder. If you first create a hard link from file A to a location B, and then delete A, you can still access the content from B. If you instead had a symbolic link B, the original being A, then deleting A would mean that by following B, you'll arrive to A, which is no longer present.

[iwato]

So, by creating a hard link, you're creating another file/folder that points to the same HDD location as pointed by the other file/folder you specify during the creation.

I got it.I have created my first hard link. Hooray!Roddy

[iwato]

So, by creating a hard link, you're creating another file/folder that points to the same HDD location as pointed by the other file/folder you specify during the creation.

I am writing a second reply for two reasons:1) I want to apologize to boen_robot for not providing a more thorough reply to his very helpful answer. Unfortunately, however, I have run into serious trouble communicating with the W3Schools forum web application and am trying to discover why.2) This is a second test. Once I have overcome the problem, I will provide a more thorough response. In the meantime I am very pleased to announce that I now have a good understanding of how hard links work.Roddy

[iwato]

So, by creating a hard link, you're creating another file/folder that points to the same HDD location as pointed by the other file/folder you specify during the creation.

The problem addressed in my last reply is both temporary and erratic, and my recent success has encouraged me to provide a more appropriate response now.What I discovered after creating my first hard link is that any change made to the file DESIGNATED by the $from_path parameter of the link( ) function is automatically reflected in the file CREATED by the $to_path parameter of the same function call. It is as if the file designated by the $from_path parameter were copied and placed at the location designated by the $to_path parameter, and both files made to behave as mirror images of one another.In effect, the link( ) function appears to be powerful little tool.My success with hard links caused me to return to soft (symbolic) links, and I discovered that unless the file created by the symlink() is placed in the same folder in which the file designated by the $target parameter is located, the file thus created fails to find the targeted file when clicked upon. This appears to be an important limitation of the soft link.Once again, boen_robot and everyone else for your terrific support.Roddy