Number: 1853

Date: 15-Aug-84 15':07':01

Submitter: Sannella.PA

Source: DMRussell.pa

Subject: Document use of var LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES

Assigned To: 

Attn: Kaplan,JonL

Status: Open

In/By: 

Problem Type: Documentation

Impact: Minor

Difficulty: 

Frequency: 

Priority: Perhaps

System: Programming Environment

Subsystem: File Package

Machine: 

Disk: 

Lisp Version: 

Source Files: 

Microcode Version: 

Memory Size: 

File Server: 

Server Software Version: 

Disposition: '
["JonL.pa" "11-Sep-84 13':27':03" Attn': Description':] '
["JonL.pa" "11-Sep-84 14':42':39" Attn': Disposition': Description': Edit-By': Edit-Date':]

Description: '
Date':  5 Aug 84 12':23 PDT'
From': DMRussell.pa'
Subject': Lisp': LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES'
To': LispSupport.pa'
cc': DMRussell.pa'
Lisp-System-Date': 21-Jun-84 10':50':28'
Machine-Type': Dorado'
'
What is the status of the globalVar LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES?  It isn''t mentioned at all in the manual, and INSPECT.IM doesn''t tell me anything either.  '
'
Why does it exist?  How does it differ from DIRECTORIES? '
'
-- DMR -- '
'
Date': 11 Sep 84 12':47 PDT'
From': JonL.pa'
Subject': Re': <LispCore>Next> loadups don''t have LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES set correctly'
In-reply-to': Sannella.pa''s message of 11 Sep 84 11':29 PDT'
To': Sannella.pa'
cc': JonL.pa, LispSupport.pa'
'
The problem with LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES in the <LispCore>Next> is visible to the user of those sysouts, not to the maker of them.  E.g., I want to use the FOO package that isn''t in LISP.SYSOUT, or in FULL.SYSOUT; but FOO has some dependency on a <LispCOre> incompatible change, so there is a version of FOO on <LispCore>Library> that is slightly incompatible with the one on <Lisp>Library>.  While using this <LispCore> sysout, I *must* be looking on <LispCore>Library> before <Lisp>Library>, in order to find this "slightly incompatible" version first.'
'
I''ll add the above paragraph to AR 1853, and see what else I can do.'
'
-- JonL --'
'
'
[additional commentary by JonL on Sep 11, 1984]'
    The globalvar LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES is to be set up by the site-specific init file; it should be a list of the canonical places to find "LispUsers" or "Library" packages.'
    Many packages are known to reside on one of the "library" directories; thus regardless of the setting of the globalvar DIRECTORIES, one often wants to include in a filepkg FILES command a direction to look for the files on the canonical set of "library" directories.  Formerly, one would have done'
    (FILES (FROM LISPUSERS) FOO BAR BLETCH)'
meaning to look on the directory named LISPUSERS.  But this is unsatisfactory in an distributed file environment; furthermore, there are now several kinds of directories, rather than one, which hold such packages.  Thus LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES is a list which FILESLOAD can directly access via the VALUEOF option':'
   (FILES (FROM VALUEOF LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES) FOO BAR BLETCH) '
However, to facilitate some backward compatibility, whenever there is a FILES com with an option like '
    (FILES (FROM MUMBLE) ...) '
filesload will first check to see if there is a defined globalvar called MUMBLEDIRECTORIES, and if so, it will proceed as if the command had been '
    (FILES (FROM VALUEOF MUMBLEDIRECTORIES) ...) '
Otherwise, it will simply treat MUMBLE as a directory name <MUMBLE> in whatever host is connected.   This way, "old" coms in the Interlisp-10 style like (FILES (FROM LISPUSERS) ...) will get the extended generality provided by LISPUSERSDIRECTORIES.'
'
'


Workaround: 

Test Case: 

Edit-By: JonL.pa

Edit-Date: 11-Sep-84 14':42':39