Tcl slash backslash

Hello all,

I'm using XP and paths are separated with backslashes. But Tcl uses
slashes.
How do you handle that, are there any tricks? I'm working mostly with
ISE 9.1,
but looking for a common solution.


Thanks and greetings
Udo

Udo wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> I'm using XP and paths are separated with backslashes. But Tcl uses
> slashes. How do you handle that, are there any tricks? I'm working
> mostly with ISE 9.1, but looking for a common solution.

Yes, I suggest you use "file join". This standard Tcl command creates an
OS correct path for any OS.

Some examples:

To see what it does

puts [file join foobar doodoo try.this]


To make a "bld" directory at the same level

file mkdir [file join ".." bld]


To change default to this directory

cd [file join ".." bld]


To add a few files to a Xilinx project from a source directory at the same
level

xfile add [".." src foobar.vhd]
xfile add ["..] src snafu.v]


-- 
Phil Hays

On Fri, 04 May 2007 03:20:18 GMT, Phil Hays <invalid@dont.spam> wrote:

>Udo wrote:
>> I'm using XP and paths are separated with backslashes. But Tcl uses
>> slashes. 

Indeed it does.

>Yes, I suggest you use "file join". This standard Tcl command creates an
>OS correct path for any OS.

Not quite. [file join] constructs Tcl-style (/-separated)
pathnames from components.  The really nice thing about [file join]
is that it's very tolerant of all sorts of input. But it does NOT
fix-up the backslashes for Windows.

For example:
  % file join /home work play
  /home/work/play
  % file join  /home/  work/  play/
  /home/work/play
  % file join  /home//  work  play///
  /home/work/play

These /-style names work just fine within Tcl, and as
arguments to any Tcl-aware program. But of course they
won't work as input to an ordinary Windows program.

If you really, really need a Win32 filename (for example,
because you're trying to set an environment variable,
or any other situation where the filename will be 
processed by a non-Tcl-aware program) you can always
use [file nativename]:

 % file nativename /home/work
 \home\work

(of course, on *nix it would give you a /-separated
name).

Be very careful, though, because backslash has special 
meaning to Tcl.  if you type a backslash-separated
name interactively, you'll need to double-up the
backslashes:

  % file nativename \home\work
  homework
  % file nativename \\home\\work
  \home\work

or alternatively, enclose the offending string in 
curly brackets:

  % file nativename {\home\work}
  \home\work

Generally, as long as you are working entirely within the
Tcl environment the best advice is...
- in your own scripts and commands, use /-style names
- if you get a \-style name from somewhere else (e.g. an
  environment variable, or from the contents of another file)
  then you can use it, but DON'T type such names interactively
- if you need to generate a \-style name for use by non-Tcl
  programs or to put into Win environment variables, use
  Tcl /-style names but use [file nativename] to do a final
  conversion to \-style before you make external use of the name.

hth
-- 
Jonathan Bromley, Consultant

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