>From mailnull Sun Jan 6 19:51:54 2013
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2013 20:50:39 +0100
From: Wilhelm Haager <wilhelm.haager at htlstp.ac.at>
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Hi,
I have a question regarding directories:
The working directory is obviously the directory, from which Maxima
was called; in general a system directory
(at least for wxMaxima), where should not reside
any user data.
But, by default, unless the whole filepath is specified, Maxima
writes data into that directory (e.g. with_stdout, print etc.)
and searches Files primarily in that directory.
This is certainly the convention in Unix-type OS. That is why it is
called the *working directory*. E.g.
touch file
creates a file in $PWD.
Besides, there is a specified "user_directory".
Yes, this is analogous to $HOME, I guess.
Is there a reason for this ambiguity (to my mind), has it
just "happened" in the history of Maxima or have I overseen
something important?
Would'nt it make sense to put both directories together?
I think, it would be convenient to write into the user_directory
by default (unless the full filepath is given),
not into the working directory (?)
I think that this would be a mistake. Rather, I think that wxMaxima
and other gui should be correctly setting the PWD for Maxima. Of
course, you can use maxima-init.lisp to set the PWD for Maxima after
it is started up.
Leo