In Drupal files should be...

ok I think I get the idea...

Something like:

// Copy a file managed by Drupal/FileAPI.
function file_copy($file, $dest) {
   if (_file_copy($file, $dest)) {
    $file->filepath = $dest;
    $file->filename = basename($dest);
    if (db_query('INSERT INTO {files} ...')) {
      return $file;
    }
    else {
       _file_delete($file);
    }
 }
  return false;
}

// Copy a file with out updating the Drupal Files tables.
function _file_copy($file, $dest) {
    // Select a storage handler based on file and system settings
    $storage_handler = _file_get_handler($file);
    $callback = $storage_handler.'_file_copy'
    if (function_exists($callback)) {
       return call_user_func($callback, $file, $dest);
    }
     return false;
}

where the functions beginning with _ do the file system level activity and shoudl be considered private functions of the file_api, but can still be used by the daring to expose the storage handlers, and the normal functions provide file_system level handling and database handling....

Does that sound like the idea?

}