[Octave-bug-tracker] [bug #36677] canonicalize_file_name: inconsistent behavior for non-existing files

[Philip Nienhuis]

Follow-up Comment #2, bug #36677 (project octave):

Thanks Rik.

Well, it works to some extent, but now I get other bugs (specific for
Windows).
See below for a CLI session, sorry *nix users for the Windows-specific
idiosyncrasies:


Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

  rem ========== go to Octave bin dir ===============

C:\Home\Philip>cd c:\programs\octave\octave-3.6.2\bin

  rem ========== set a working dir on drive F: ======

C:\Programs\Octave\Octave-3.6.2\bin>cd f:\svn\octave.sf.net\extra\java

C:\Programs\Octave\Octave-3.6.2\bin>dir f:
 Volume in drive F is BIGWIN1
 Volume Serial Number is 746C-E43B

 Directory of F:\svn\octave.sf.net\extra\java

28-Apr-12  19:50    <DIR>          .
28-Apr-12  19:50    <DIR>          ..
28-Apr-12  19:51    <DIR>          doc
28-Apr-12  19:52                75 configure
28-Apr-12  19:52               369 DESCRIPTION
28-Apr-12  19:52               110 PKG_DEL
28-Apr-12  19:52    <DIR>          src
28-Apr-12  19:52               372 INDEX
28-Apr-12  19:52    <DIR>          inst
28-Apr-12  19:52            17 983 COPYING
28-Apr-12  19:52             1 092 PKG_ADD
28-Apr-12  19:52             4 035 Makefile
29-Jun-12  19:05             3 226 preinstall.m
               8 File(s)         27 262 bytes
               5 Dir(s)     823 967 744 bytes free

  rem ========== OK, now starting Octave ===========

C:\Programs\Octave\Octave-3.6.2\bin>octave
GNU Octave, version 3.6.2
<snip>
Octave was configured for "i686-pc-mingw32".
<snip>

octave:1> pwd
ans = c:\home\philip\mydocs\octave

octave:2> filename = 'notfound.fil'
filename = notfound.fil
octave:3> make_absolute_filename (filename)
ans = c:\home\philip\mydocs\octave\notfound.fil
  # Correct

octave:4> filename = '..\notfound.fil'
filename = ..\notfound.fil
octave:5> make_absolute_filename (filename)
ans = c:\home\philip\mydocs\notfound.fil
  # Correct

octave:6> filename = 'f:PKG_ADD'
filename = f:PKG_ADD
octave:7> make_absolute_filename (filename)
ans = c:\home\philip\mydocs\octave\f:PKG_ADD
  # Wrong
octave:8> canonicalize_file_name (filename)
ans = F:\svn\octave.sf.net\extra\java\PKG_ADD
  # Correct



(Probably unneeded explanation for Windows haters:)
On windows you have a current directory on every drive (-letter). So while
you're on drive C:, accessing a file on another drive depends on that other
drive's current dir.
That's where make_absolute_filename() fails, but canonicalize_file_name()
works correctly.

So yes, in principle if on *nix I could use make_absolute_filename() and on
Windows canonicalize_file_name()

But, could canonicalize_file_name() be made to fall back on
make_absolute_filename() on *nix, and vice versa on Windows?

That would be a "better" solution, not so much because I wouldn't have to fix
the io pkg scripts then, but rather because the two functions would work
consistently (cross-platform) in core Octave.


    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?36677>

_______________________________________________
  Message sent via/by Savannah
  http://savannah.gnu.org/