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2-Aug-19 4:26

My question is somewhat religious and definitely mundane compared to the guy who wants to write an OS in .net, but I live in the world of maintenance code. My bugaboo is consistency. Take a project of veteran developers (they each have their own style) add a few whiz kids (who have their own styles), add code standards that are pretty much ignored, and shake. The results can be mind-boggling. I've seen coding conventions deal with many issues, but I don't think I've seen one dealing with filenames and their construction. In the project I am re-factoring now, the file system is fixed. The primary folders in the root are fixed, so we have something like:

\root
application
backup
archives

I have a lot of code that builds file specifications including folder names. A great deal of concatenation, removing slashes, adding slashes and what not, it just begs for errors. So instead of something like this:

C++

#define ROOT_FOLDER L"\\root"
#define APP_FOLDER L"application"
#define BACKUP_FOLDER L"backup"
#define ARCHIVE_FOLDER L"archives"

and then constructing complete file specs, I re-factored to something like this:

C++

#define ROOT_FOLDER L"\\root"
#define APP_FOLDER L"\\root\\application"
#define BACKUP_FOLDER L"\\root\\backup"
#define ARCHIVE_FOLDER L"\\root\\archives"

and deleted as much string formatting code that I could. Then I got to thinking, maybe there should be a trailing slash as well - which led me here to ask how others like to do this...

Thoughts?

Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759

W∴ Balboos, GHB2-Aug-19 4:31

W∴ Balboos, GHB

2-Aug-19 4:31

charlieg wrote:
I live in the world of maintenance code.

We will have you in our prayers. Rose | [Rose]

Ravings en masse^
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

charlieg2-Aug-19 6:40

2-Aug-19 6:40

Nah, it comes with its own set of challenges. Besides, I can always blame the original developers. Smile | :)

Forogar 2-Aug-19 4:34

Forogar

2-Aug-19 4:34

Path.Combine() automatically handles doubled up or missing backslashes so I don't worry about it.

- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

honey the codewitch2-Aug-19 4:48

2-Aug-19 4:48

that looks like C, not C#

When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.

Sander Rossel2-Aug-19 4:52

Sander Rossel

2-Aug-19 4:52

My thoughts exactly Big Grin | :-D

I'm not sure if that's available in C, but it shouldn't be hard to write Smile | :)

Best,
Sander

sanderrossel.com
Continuous Integration, Delivery, and Deployment
arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript
Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly

OriginalGriff2-Aug-19 5:08

2-Aug-19 5:08

I'm so used to Path.Combine, that if I had to go to a system without it, I'd probably have to roll my own - it's just too useful!

Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

charlieg2-Aug-19 6:41

2-Aug-19 6:41

It's actually C++ code, but what amazes me is the lack of writing something like PathCombine. Yes, I have a new project.

OriginalGriff2-Aug-19 8:00

2-Aug-19 8:00

This may help: Reference Source: Path.Combine[^]
And when you get it working, stick it up as an article / tip for others to enjoy! Thumbs Up | :thumbsup:

Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

charlieg2-Aug-19 8:46

2-Aug-19 8:46

As long as I've been on this site, you have a point.

honey the codewitch2-Aug-19 4:47

2-Aug-19 4:47

i prefer trailing slashes at the end of directory names. That way you can distinguish them programmatically and visually from filenames

When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.

Sander Rossel2-Aug-19 4:55

Sander Rossel

2-Aug-19 4:55

BURN THE W... Oh wait, that actually makes a lot of sense Hmmm | :|

Best,
Sander

sanderrossel.com
Continuous Integration, Delivery, and Deployment
arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript
Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly

honey the codewitch2-Aug-19 4:56

2-Aug-19 4:56

come over to the dark side. we have cookies.

When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.

OriginalGriff2-Aug-19 5:09

2-Aug-19 5:09

Come over to the Light Side: we have Beer | [beer]

, and Pizza.

Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

honey the codewitch2-Aug-19 5:23

2-Aug-19 5:23

i don't drink and my pizza has to be gay.

When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.

OriginalGriff2-Aug-19 5:31

2-Aug-19 5:31

honey the monster, codewitch wrote:
my pizza has to be gay.

That's easy: just put ham and pineapple on it.

Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

W∴ Balboos, GHB2-Aug-19 5:42

W∴ Balboos, GHB

2-Aug-19 5:42

Comment begged by your post:

honey the monster, codewitch wrote:
pizza has to be gay.

Pineapple topping?

Ravings en masse^
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

honey the codewitch2-Aug-19 5:44

2-Aug-19 5:44

absolutely.

Although a cowboy with white sauce also counts.

When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.

charlieg2-Aug-19 6:42

2-Aug-19 6:42

stop hijacking my thread Poke tongue | ;-P

honey the codewitch2-Aug-19 6:47

2-Aug-19 6:47

slashes go at the end of directories. There you go. =D

When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.

Rick York2-Aug-19 4:55

Rick York

2-Aug-19 4:55

Over the years I have learned not to care. I have seen and done both so when I start building paths I use PathAddBackslash because it adds one only if necessary. This way the code can accommodate both options.

Lately, I use no leading slashes and I have trailing slashes on directories. Plane, old file names never have them.

"They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"