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

Mark Kettenis
2010-04-23T11:15:27Z

> From: Pedro Alves <pedro@codesourcery.com>
> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:46:22 +0100
>
> On Friday 23 April 2010 09:54:17, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
> > > From: Pedro Alves <pedro@codesourcery.com>
> >
> > > (gdb) help set target-file-system-kind
> > > Set assumed file system kind for target reported paths
> >
> > 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.