--- /dev/null
+char const *
+file_type (struct stat const *st)
+{
+ /* See POSIX 1003.1-2001 for these formats.
+
+ To keep diagnostics grammatical in English, the returned string
+ must start with a consonant. */
+
+ if (S_ISREG (st->st_mode))
+ return st->st_size == 0 ? _("regular empty file") : _("regular file");
+
+ if (S_ISDIR (st->st_mode))
+ return _("directory");
+
+ if (S_ISBLK (st->st_mode))
+ return _("block special file");
+
+ if (S_ISCHR (st->st_mode))
+ return _("character special file");
+
+ if (S_ISFIFO (st->st_mode))
+ return _("fifo");
+
+ if (S_ISLNK (st->st_mode))
+ return _("symbolic link");
+
+ if (S_ISSOCK (st->st_mode))
+ return _("socket");
+
+ if (S_TYPEISMQ (st))
+ return _("message queue");
+
+ if (S_TYPEISSEM (st))
+ return _("semaphore");
+
+ if (S_TYPEISSHM (st))
+ return _("shared memory object");
+
+ if (S_TYPEISTMO (st))
+ return _("typed memory object");
+
+ return _("weird file");
+}