>From mailnull Mon Jan 7 15:04:22 2013
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Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 15:39:34 +0100
From: Wilhelm Haager <wilhelm.haager at htlstp.ac.at>
On Sun, 6 Jan 2013 21:32:30 GMT, Leo Butler
<l_butler at users.sourceforge.net> wrote:
>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>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> 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
Thank you very much for your answer
Wilhelm
Forwarded to Maxima mailing list.
Leo