GNU bug report logs - #15159
24.3.50; doc of `file-relative-name'

Previous Next

Full log

View this message in rfc822 format

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 15159 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#15159: 24.3.50; doc of `file-relative-name'
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:43:43 +0300

> Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:42:19 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
> 
> The doc says nothing about whether arg FILENAME needs to be absolute or
> relative, and in fact it can be either.  It is clear enough what the
> function does if it is absolute, but the doc should say explicitly what
> it does for a relative FILENAME, namely, it expands the FILENAME in the
> `default-directory' of the current buffer.

Sorry, but I see nothing unclear in this doc string:

  (file-relative-name FILENAME &optional DIRECTORY)

  Convert FILENAME to be relative to DIRECTORY (default: `default-directory').
  This function returns a relative file name which is equivalent to FILENAME
  when used with that default directory as the default.

"Convert FILENAME to be relative to DIRECTORY" is accurate and
unequivocal.  The fact that relative file names are treated as
relative to the current buffer's default-directory is what Emacs does
with _every_ file name in _any_ function; if users don't know this
basic fact, they will have problems all over the place.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.