Per user dirs on Non-Unix platforms (was Re: [Python-Dev] Where to install non-code files)

[Guido van Rossum]

> > Modifyable data needs to go in a per-user directory, even on Windows,
> > outside the Python tree.
> 
> Is there a reliable algorithm to find a "per-user" directory on any
> Win95/98/NT/2000 system?  On MacOS?  

I don't know -- often $HOME is set on Windows.  E.g. IDLE uses $HOME
if set and otherwise the current directory.

The Mac doesn't have an environment at all.

> Idea: Wouldn't it be nice if the 'nt' and 'mac' versions of the 'os'
> module would provide 'os.environ["HOME"]' similar to the posix
> version?  This would certainly simplify the task of application
> programmers intending to write portable applications.

This sounds like a nice idea...

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)