Define a FileUtils module

[josevalim]

For example, here is the Ruby lib:

http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib-1.9.3/libdoc/fileutils/rdoc/FileUtils.html

Rebar implements some of these:

https://github.com/basho/rebar/blob/master/src/rebar_file_utils.erl

[lukesutton]

Is there any reason why File and FileUtils couldn't be merged? If we look at Ruby, it often feels strange to have things like ::exists? defined on File class when they could just as easily be in the FileUtils module.

[josevalim]

This is a good question. I am fine if we pack all these together. The only reason I see for having FileUtils is because most of its functions accept :verbose and :noop as arguments (which I honestly don't care for now), while the File ones have more strict semantics and behavior.

Ruby has File, Dir and FileUtils, Erlang has file, filelib and filename. There is also an IO module for both. It seems initially both languages have an arbitrary division which you eventually get used to. Overall, they have many responsibilities:

• Read and write IO
• Path names manipulation (absname, realname, dirname, extname, etc)
• Filesystem manipulation (querying, wildcard, mkdir, rmdir, link, unlink)
• File specific manipulation (read, touch, reading file info)

Some functions like File.exists? seems to belong in more than one place. So I think I am fine if we pack all together to avoid having to make such decisions. If we start to feel like there is some ambiguity or clash, we could break them apart in the future.

[rafaelfranca]

I'll work on this one.