[development] files owned by uid, patch review request.

[Dries Buytaert]

On 07 May 2007, at 21:13, Darrel O'Pry wrote:
>> I don't think Cog is requesting that this would be part of this
>> patch.  I think he just wants to understand how this patch affects
>> feature requests like this.  As in; does this patch makes it easier
>> or more difficult to implement some of the common feature requests
>> related to file handling.
>
> Yes I think it could be implemented, and I think it would make it
> easier. While nodes did provide a convenient sort of grouping, we  
> don't
> have a group access control model in Drupal core. We use a role based
> permission system currently. With the exception of organic groups.

Thanks for the clarification.

>> What if I want the files to get deleted when the node is deleted?
>> Would they still be deleted with the proposed patch?
>
> No. The file remains, but is disassociated from the node. There is no
> way to guarantee the file is not in use elsewhere on your site, or
> linked from an external site, so the file remains.
>
> It can be modified to do so, but being able to do it sanely will  
> require
> the addition on drewish's modules column, or a hook delete for  
> reference
> counting to make sure files are not in use elsewhere.

While I like the direction of your patch (I'm in favor), I think this  
might warrant a bit more thought and discussion.

The current model is that when you delete a node, the files  
associated with that node are also deleted -- both from the database  
and from disk.  With this proposed patch, the files would remain on  
disk, and you'd have no way to delete them -- nor from the database,  
nor from disk.  (Unless maybe you use a contrib module).

How do you all feel about this?  Does this drawback (if considered a  
drawback) outweight the advantages of this patch?

--
Dries Buytaert  ::  http://www.buytaert.net/