Request for Comments on Split-Path Revision ------------------------------------------- Issue: Should split-path be changed? Discussion: Split-path currently returns the last element of a path, regardless of whether it is a file or directory. That is: >> split-path %a/b/c == [%a/b/ %c] >> split-path %a/b/c/ == [%a/b/ %c/] This allows writing iterative code like: >> path: %/a/b/c/d == %/a/b/c/d >> while [path <> %/] [set [path file] split-path path print file] d c/ b/ a/ (Note, this example also shows another problem with split-path... in that it has no regular iterative termination condition. If you provided a path of %a/b/c/d this code would loop forever, because the path would reduce to %./ not %/ ) However, you would normally think that a split path type of function would separate the directory path from the file name itself. This would take %a/b/c/ and return a directory path of %a/b/c/ and a file of none (not a file of %"", which is a file with no name). However, you loose the iterative "peeling" shown above. Since split-path has other issues that we will be fixing very soon, I would like to get your comments on this issue soon. Do not consider legacy with existing code base. It is better to correct this problem today, rather than when the child is 20. -Carl "Dad"
