If the attributes indicate a regular file, as if by POSIX S_­ISREG, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​regular, prms). [ Note: file_­type​::​regular implies appropriate <fstream> operations would succeed, assuming no hardware, permission, access, or file system race errors. Lack of file_­type​::​regular does not necessarily imply <fstream> operations would fail on a directory.  — end note ]

Otherwise, if the attributes indicate a directory, as if by POSIX S_­ISDIR, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​directory, prms). [ Note: file_­type​::​directory implies that calling directory_­iterator(p) would succeed.  — end note ]

Otherwise, if the attributes indicate a block special file, as if by POSIX S_­ISBLK, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​block, prms).

Otherwise, if the attributes indicate a character special file, as if by POSIX S_­ISCHR, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​character, prms).

Otherwise, if the attributes indicate a fifo or pipe file, as if by POSIX S_­ISFIFO, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​fifo, prms).

Otherwise, if the attributes indicate a socket, as if by POSIX S_­ISSOCK, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​socket, prms).

Otherwise, if the attributes indicate an implementation-defined file type ([fs.enum.file_type]), returns file_­status(file_­type​::​A, prms), where A is the constant for the implementation-defined file type.

Otherwise, returns file_­status(file_­type​::​unknown, prms).