> > > > If aFile = File.open("myfile.txt") then why is the syntax for finding out
> > > > the file size
> > > > 	File.size(aFile) instead of aFile.size?
> > > The class method is there because you don't have to open a file to
> > > determine it's size. In fact, you can find the size of files which you 
> > > don't have permission to open.
> > You mean File.stat(name).size right? File.size(name) is pretty much
> > useless except for inciting users to ask for File#size. 
> I must be missing something:
>    File.size("/etc/passwd")		# => 2271

You say the class method (.size) is there because you don't have to open a
file to determine it's size. But there is already .stat().size which is
more consistent with #stat.size. So we don't really need .size() at all; 
plus, its non-existence could have helped avoiding the original question
altogether. 

Maybe just an unimportant comment after all.

matju