Re: [PATCH] Use search path for scripts

[Andrew STUBBS <andrew dot stubbs at st dot com>]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
> > Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:06:32 +0000
> > From: Andrew STUBBS <andrew.stubbs@st.com>
> >
> > The search strategy employed is the one we have found most useful. If 
> > the path contains '/' then search relative to current directory first, 
> > otherwise search the path first.
>
>
> How about trying in the current directory if the file name does not
> have any slash characters?  That sounds like the least surprising
> behavior, and also keeps backward compatibility.

We have a selection of scripts kept in the toolchain installation. These 
scripts are used to connect to and configure targets boards and 
simulators of many varieties. The scripts often reference one-another 
(sort of like an include statement) and in some cases are loaded lazily 
as required to keep the number of user-defined commands to a minimum.

For these scripts to find each other they would either have to have 
absolute paths hard-coded in - not a possibility because we do not 
mandate any particular install location - or else add the directory to 
the search path and reference the files by base name.

If the current directory was searched first then a users own scripts may 
accidentally (and silently) override the intended script causing a 
support headache.

In short, the chosen strategy ensures that our product always works as 
our customers expect.

In addition, this way round you can always specify which file you mean 
by adding './' whereas the other way round requires a lot more typing to 
say what you mean when it doesn't do what you expect. It would also 
require that the user search for the script themselves, and that isn't 
something your average customer is capable of (or so it seems). It 
certainly isn't something they want to do.

I do see what you mean about backwards compatibility though.

Andrew