Why doesn't std.file.exists follow symbolic links?

[jfondren]

On Friday, 2 July 2021 at 14:11:22 UTC, Jack Applegame wrote:
> This is a completely different topic. The above code is just a 
> demonstration that `std.file.exists` does not follow symbolic 
> links, and not the real code.
>
...
>
> This is also a completely different topic.

The unifying topic is "there is a correct way to work with the
filesystem, and exists() isn't it, so who cares if languages vary 
on
the implementation of a wrong way to work with the filesystem?"

A naive user of any implementation of exists() is going to have a 
lot
more to worry about. A non-naive user of it will be aware of how 
it is
implemented.