Re: [gdb/libiberty] Improve support for cross debugging shared libraries with DOS style pathnames (from Unix hosts)

Eli Zaretskii
2010-04-23T14:30:54Z

> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:13:28 +0200 (CEST)
> From: Mark Kettenis <mark.kettenis@xs4all.nl>
> CC: gdb-patches@sourceware.org, eliz@gnu.org, gcc-patches@gcc.gnu.org
>
> > > Please don't use "path" when you really mean "file name". It's
> > > confusing; "path" should be reserved for lists of directories such as
> > > PATH or INFOPATH.
> >
> > Oh. I really meant a "path", as in:
> >
> > "A path, the general form of a filename or of a directory name,
> > specifies a unique location in a file system."
> >
> > (From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_%28computing%29>.)
> >
> > I suppose that's why we have IS_ABSOLUTE_PATH, and not IS_ABSOLUTE_FILE_NAME,
> > and such.
> >
> > IMO, it's the use of singular path or "search path" to mean
> > "list of directories" that's overloaded.
> > "Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names"
> > kind of sounds like it is only talking about the filename "/dir1/dir2/files1"
> > (or directory and filenames, if you think of a directory a file as well).
> > Maybe I could just get rid of the mention of paths/file names, and go with:
> >
> > "Set the assumed file system kind of the target."
> >
> > Anyway, I'll change it to what you think is clearer.
>
> I think that depends on whether you're coming from a UNIX environment
> or a DOS environment. To me (not really having used DOS for two
> decades) path is perfectly clear and acceptable.

From standards.info, node "GNU Manuals":

Please do not use the term "pathname" that is used in Unix
documentation; use "file name" (two words) instead. We use the term
"path" only for search paths, which are lists of directory names.

You can hardly say that RMS comes from a DOS environment, can you?