> 1) ops

>    stat (out PMC, in STR, in INT)
>    stat (out PMC, in PMC, in INT)

> Return a new array-like[1] PMC $1 with file stats from file (PIO or
> string) $2,
> or PerlUndef, if file doesn't exist, $3 are flags:

>    .PARROT_STAT_NO_FOLLOW_LINK

> The array(-like)  has keyed access with these keys

>    .PARROT_STAT_FILE_SIZE
>    .PARROT_STAT_FILE_SIZE_LO
>    .PARROT_STAT_FILE_SIZE_HI

>    .PARROT_STAT_MODE a bitmask with these bits:
>       .PARROT_STAT_MODE_ISDIR
>       .PARROT_STAT_MODE_ISFILE
>       [ more platform-unspecific bits ]

>    .PARROT_STAT_PERM a bitmask with these bits
>       .PARROT_STAT_PERM_IS_READABLE
>       .PARROT_STAT_PERM_IS_WRITABLE
>       .PARROT_STAT_PERM_IS_EXECUTABLE

>    .PARROT_STAT_MTIME modified time

>    .PARROT_STAT_OS_TYPE a constant defining the os-specific
>       part that follows
>         .PARROT_STAT_stat
>         .PARROT_STAT_stat64
>         ...

>    .PARROT_STAT_OS_SPECIFIC
>        A (Un)?ManagedStruct PMC with OS-specific data like a
>         struct stat64

> 2) Interface

>     PMC* Parrot_stat_s(Interp*, STRING* file, INTVAL flags);
>     PMC* Parrot_stat_p(Interp*, PMC*    pio,  INTVAL flags);

> 3) Interface to platforms

>     INTVAL Parrot_stat_os_s(Interp*, Parrot_stat*, STRING* file, INTVAL
> flags);
>     INTVAL Parrot_stat_os_p(Interp*, Parrot_stat*, PMC*    pio,  INTVAL
> flags);

>     typedef struct _parrot_stat {
>        size64_t size;
>        UINTVAL mode;
>        UINTVAL perm;
>        FLOATVAL mtime;  // in Parrot units
>        UINTVAL os_stat_type;
>        union {
>          struct stat;
>    struct stat64;
>    ...
>       } u;
>     } Parrot_stat;

> 4) Notes
> The information in the first few fields should not be platform
> specific. If platforms have more in common then above bits, the
> structure should be expanded.

> [1] it needs just these vtables implemeted: I0 = P0[i], N0 = P0[i],
> i.e. get_{integer,number}_keyed_int

> Comments, improvements, and implementations thereafter welcome
> leo