D 2024-06-19T17:33:29.447 J closedate 2460481.23159082 J closer apnadkarni J icomment While\sI\sagree\swith\sthe\srest\sof\sdgp's\scomments,\sI\sdo\sthink\sit\sis\simportant\sto\sdistinguish\sbetween\sthe\schannel\sand\sa\s"token"\sthat\sidentifies\sit,\swhether\swe\scall\sit\sa\schannel\sname\sor\schannel\sid.\sThis\sis\sanalogous\sto\sfiles\sand\sfile\sdescriptors,\sor\sperhaps\smore\sappropriately,\sSys\sV\sstreams,\swhich\smight\sbe\sthe\sclosest\sfunctionally\sto\schannels.\r\n\r\nA\sSys\sV\sstream\sor\sa\sTcl\schannel\sis\sa\sprogramming\sconstruct\sthat\stransports\sdata\s(some\shand\swaving\shere)\sand\ssupports\soperations\slike\sread/write\sand\stransforms.\sThe\schannel\sname/id\sis\ssomething\sused\sto\sidentify\san\sinstance\sof\ssuch\sa\sconstruct.\sThe\stwo\sare\snot\sthe\ssame,\sand\sthere\sneed\snot\seven\sbe\sa\s1-1\srelation\sbetween\sthem.\sConsider\sif\swe\shad\sthe\sequivalent\sof\sdup()\sin\sTcl.\sWe\swould\sthen\sstill\shave\sa\ssingle\schannel,\sas\sour\sdata\stransfer\sconstruct,\sbut\snow\swe\shave\stwo\sidentifiers/names\sfor\sit.\sCalling\sclose\son\sthe\schannel\sname\swould\snot\sterminate\sthe\schannel,\sbut\sthe\sidentifier\swould\sno\slonger\sreference\sit.\r\n\r\nIn\sWindows\sterms,\swhat\swe\sare\scurrently\scalling\sa\schannel\sid/name\swould\sbe\sa\schannel\shandle.\sIn\sUnix\sterms,\sit\swould\sbe\sakin\sto\sa\sfile\sdescriptor.\sIn\sany\scase\sthe\spoint\sis\sthe\schannel\sis\sdistinct\sfrom\swhatever\sis\sused\sto\sidentify\sit,\swhether\sthat\sis\sid,\sname,\shandle\sor\sdescriptor.\r\n\r\nHaving\ssaid\sthat\sI\sthink\s**when\sthe\scontext\sis\sobvious**\sit\swould\sbe\sall\sright\sto\suse\s"channel"\sas\sa\ssynonym\sfor\sthe\sidentifier\sif\sit\sreads\sbetter. J login apnadkarni J mimetype text/x-markdown K 7be97a685975ec271a02518a0d88c6bc121f8df6 U apnadkarni Z 71b2ced681b5e33798e488fbbda0c376