ANNOUNCE - graphics package

[Joachim Durchholz]

Bengt Kleberg wrote:
> interestingly enough there is no sys->close() function for file
> handles in inferno programming with limbo. the manual says ''There is
> no explicit ``close'' routine: when the last reference to the file 
> descriptor is released, the system closes the associated file.''

I conclude that there's no reason to ever close a file on Limbo. 
Probably because opening a file doesn't place a lock on it, and because 
keeping a file open doesn't take up any resources.

Unfortunately, the first isn't true on Windows (which automatically 
places a lock on a file as long as it's open), and the second isn't true 
on neither Windows nor Unix. Since Erlang lives on top of the native 
file systems, this makes the Limbo strategy nontransferrable. 
(Unfortuantely, I should add.)

Regards,
Jo
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