Everything Is a File? | Shop Talk #84

What does it really mean when programmers say "everything is a file"?

In Shop Talk #84, Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges answer viewer questions inspired by the recent fopen() discussion and explore one of the most influential ideas in computing: abstraction.

The conversation begins with a question about why computer science classes often feel disconnected from real-world software development before diving deep into file descriptors, FILE pointers, pipes, devices, mmap, Unix philosophy, and the surprising design decisions that shaped modern operating systems.

Topics include:

• Why CS classes don't always reflect the real world

• Learning programming in the age of AI

• Neurodiversity and problem solving

• fopen(), FILE*, and file descriptors

• Pipes, devices, and streams

• DOS versus Unix approaches to I/O

• Why "everything is a file" became such a powerful idea

• Whether we'd design operating systems the same way today

Plus a few slot-machine questions, Flying Spaghetti Monster sightings, and other classic Shop Talk detours.

#ShopTalk #Programming #Unix #ComputerScience #DavePlummer