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

[Fred L. Drake, Jr.]

Gordon McMillan writes:
 > From the 10**3 foot view, yes, they have the concept. From 
 > any closer it falls apart miserably.

  So they have the concept, just no implementation.  ;)  Sounds like
leaving it up to the application to interpret their requirements is
the right thing.  Or the right thing is to provide a function to ask
where configuration information should be stored for the
user/application; this would be $HOME under Unix and <whatever> on
Windows.  The only other reason I can think of that $HOME is needed is
for navigation purposes (as in a filesystem browser), and for that the
application needs to deal with the lack of the concept in the
operating system as appropriate.

 > (An cmd.exe "cd" w/o arg acts like "pwd". I notice that the 
 > bash shell requires you to set $HOME, and won't make any 
 > guesses.)

  This very definately sounds like overloading $HOME is the wrong
thing.


  -Fred


-- 
Fred L. Drake, Jr.  <fdrake at acm.org>