Every now and then I run across some documentation that has an amusing element, side story, or something a bit beyond the usual.
This one came up a while back and I’ve gone back and read it a few times when I needed a laugh. It’s the last bit…
Command: steal-file
only valid way to move a file from another account into the current account.
This physically moves a file to the current master dictionary from another master dictionary.
“steal-file” prompts for the account name and requires “sys2” privileges. It also requires that the
user invoking “steal-file” is not protected against updating the file at any level, master dictionary,
file level dictionary, or data file level.
After “stealing” a file, the former owner has no reference to it, not even visitation rights. He or she
can get visitation rights by building a “q-pointer” to where the file moved, or by referencing it via a
“file path”.
Maybe I’m the only one that finds it funny; that’s ok. Makes me wonder about who wrote it though, and if anyone else reviewing the documentation noticed.