| instance methods | 
| <=> | statfile <=> anOtherStat
        -> -1, 0, 1 | 
 | Compares File::Statobjects by comparing their respective
       modification times.
| f1 = File.new("f1", "w") |  
| sleep 1 |  
| f2 = File.new("f2", "w") |  
  | f1.stat <=> f2.stat | » | -1 |  | | atime | statfile.atime
        -> aTime | 
 | Returns the last access time for this file 
      as an object of class Time.
  | File.stat("testfile").atime | » | Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 CST 1969 |  | | blksize | statfile.blksize
        -> anInteger | 
 | Returns the native file system's block size.
      Will return 0 on platforms that don't support this information. 
  | File.stat("testfile").blksize | » | 4096 |  | | blockdev? | statfile.blockdev?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif the file is a block device,falseif it isn't or 
      if the operating system doesn't support this feature.
  | File.stat("testfile").blockdev? | » | false |  | | blocks | statfile.blocks
        -> anInteger | 
 | Returns the number of native file system blocks allocated for
      this file, or 0
      if the operating system doesn't support this feature. 
  | File.stat("testfile").blocks | » | 2 |  | | chardev? | statfile.chardev?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif the file is a character device,falseif it isn't or 
      if the operating system doesn't support this feature.
  | File.stat("/dev/tty").chardev? | » | true |  | | ctime | statfile.ctime
        -> aTime | 
 | Returns the change time for statfile (that is, the time
      directory information about the file was changed, not the file
      itself). 
  | File.stat("testfile").ctime | » | Sun Mar 04 23:28:25 CST 2001 |  | | dev | statfile.dev
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns an integer representing the device on which statfile
      resides. 
  | File.stat("testfile").dev | » | 774 |  | | directory? | statfile.directory?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is a directory,falseotherwise.
  | File.stat("testfile").directory? | » | false |  
  | File.stat(".").directory? | » | true |  | | executable? | statfile.executable?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is executable or if the
      operating system doesn't distinguish executable files from
      nonexecutable files.  The tests are made using the effective
      owner of the process.
  | File.stat("testfile").executable? | » | false |  | | executable_real? | statfile.executable_real?
    -> trueorfalse | 
 | Same as executable?, but tests using the real owner of the
      process. | | file? | statfile.file?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is a regular file (not a device 
     file, pipe, socket, etc.).
  | File.stat("testfile").file? | » | true |  | | ftype | statfile.ftype
        -> fileType | 
 | Identifies the type of statfile.
      The return string is one of: 
        `` file'',
        ``directory'',
        ``characterSpecial'',
        ``blockSpecial'',
        ``fifo'',
        ``link'', or
        ``socket''.
  | File.stat("/dev/tty").ftype | » | "characterSpecial" |  | | gid | statfile.gid
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns the numeric group id of the owner of statfile. 
  | File.stat("testfile").gid | » | 500 |  | | grpowned? | statfile.grpowned?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns true if the effective group id of the process is the same 
      as the group id of statfile.
      On Windows NT, returns false.
  | File.stat("testfile").grpowned? | » | true |  
  | File.stat("/etc/passwd").grpowned? | » | false |  | | ino | statfile.ino
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns the inode number for statfile. 
  | File.stat("testfile").ino | » | 43331 |  | | mode | statfile.mode
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns an integer representing the permission bits of
      statfile.  The meaning of the bits is platform dependent; on Unix
      systems, see stat(2).
  | File.chmod(0644, "testfile") | » | 1 |  
| s = File.stat("testfile") |  
  | sprintf("%o", s.mode) | » | "100644" |  | | mtime | statfile.mtime
        -> aTime | 
 | Returns the modification time for statfile. 
  | File.stat("testfile").mtime | » | Sun Mar 04 23:28:25 CST 2001 |  | | nlink | statfile.nlink
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns the number of hard links to statfile. 
  | File.stat("testfile").nlink | » | 1 |  
  | File.link("testfile", "testfile.bak") | » | 0 |  
  | File.stat("testfile").nlink | » | 2 |  | | owned? | statfile.owned?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif the effective user id of the process is the same 
      as the owner of statfile.
  | File.stat("testfile").owned? | » | true |  
  | File.stat("/etc/passwd").owned? | » | false |  | | pipe? | statfile.pipe?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif the operating system supports pipes and
      statfile is a pipe;falseotherwise. | | rdev | statfile.rdev
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns an integer representing the device type on which statfile
      resides.  Returns 0if the operating system doesn't support this feature.
  | File.stat("/dev/fd0").rdev | » | 512 |  | | readable? | statfile.readable?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is readable by the effective
      user id of this process.
  | File.stat("testfile").readable? | » | true |  | | readable_real? | statfile.readable_real?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is readable by the real
      user id of this process.
  | File.stat("testfile").readable_real? | » | true |  | | setgid? | statfile.setgid?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile has the set-group-id      
      permission bit set,falseif it doesn't or
      if the operating system doesn't support this feature.
  | File.stat("/usr/sbin/lpc").setgid? | » | true |  | | setuid? | statfile.setuid?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile has the set-user-id
      permission bit set,falseif it doesn't or
      if the operating system doesn't support this feature.
  | File.stat("/bin/su").setuid? | » | true |  | | size | statfile.size
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns the size of statfile in bytes. 
  | File.stat("testfile").size | » | 66 |  | | size? | statfile.size?
        -> aFixnum or nil | 
 | Returns nilif statfile is a zero-length file; otherwise,
      returns the file size.
  | File.stat("testfile").size? | » | 66 |  | | socket? | statfile.socket?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is a socket,falseif
      it isn't or 
      if the operating system doesn't support this feature.
  | File.stat("testfile").socket? | » | false |  | | sticky? | statfile.sticky?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile has its sticky bit set,falseif it doesn't or if the operating system doesn't
      support this feature.
  | File.stat("testfile").sticky? | » | false |  | | symlink? | statfile.symlink?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is a symbolic link,falseif it isn't or if the operating system doesn't
      support this feature. AsFile::statautomatically follows
      symbolic links,symlink?will always befalsefor an object returned byFile::stat.
  | File.symlink("testfile", "alink") | » | 0 |  
  | File.stat("alink").symlink? | » | false |  
  | File.lstat("alink").symlink? | » | true |  | | uid | statfile.uid
        -> aFixnum | 
 | Returns the numeric user id of the owner of statfile. 
  | File.stat("testfile").uid | » | 501 |  | | writable? | statfile.writable?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is writable by the effective
      user id of this process.
  | File.stat("testfile").writable? | » | true |  | | writable_real? | statfile.writable_real?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is writable by the real
      user id of this process.
  | File.stat("testfile").writable_real? | » | true |  | | zero? | statfile.zero?
        -> trueorfalse | 
 | Returns trueif statfile is a zero-length file;falseotherwise.
  | File.stat("testfile").zero? | » | false |  |