(this hasn't appeared. apologies if duplicate)

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jeff Johnson <n3npq@mac.com>
> Date: January 8, 2008 10:46:19 AM EST
> To: rpm-devel@rpm5.org
> Subject: Adding RPMTAG_STAT header extension
>
> It's almost time to add a header extension to return
> an array of stat(2) structures, one for each file path
> contained in a RPM package.
>
> The rationale for doing so is to simplify the mappings
> from RPMTAG_FILEFOO onto what is likely an easier
> structure for developers and bindings to reuse with
> CS101 book learning and native binding methods.
>
> It's really a royal PITA to get at all the metadata attached
> to a single file, there are like 20-30 tags associated
> with each file these days, all well buried beneath a rpmfi
> object, but ususally all that is needed is stat(2) info
> for 90+% of the usage cases on file paths.
>
> The eventual usage case for RPMTAG_STAT will
> be to make a connection into the world of clickable
> installers using FUSE mounts and such, but that's
> just wispy crack smoke atm ...
>
> 73 de Jeff