mailing-list for TeXmacs Users

[David Allouche <address@hidden>]

On Thursday 27 December 2001 07:30, Andrey G. Grozin wrote:
> I'm afraid, I never start programs by clicking on something (except games,
> when I really don't care about the working directory). I just type their
> names in xterm (nowadays, it is konsole, but this does not matter). So,
> for me, the working directory is the most fundamental concept. When I am
> in $HOME/hqet3, this means that I am now working on the paper about 3-loop
> corrections in HQET. When I start emacs in this directory, I expect that
> it will be most easy to access files related to the current project. The
> same about texmacs and all other tools. If I change the working directory,
> i.e. switch to another project, I would be extremely annoyed if the
> default directory in the File->Open dialog would be the last directory
> used in this application, i.e., the project I am *not* working on now.

Then maybe you will be surprised to know that the directory displayed by 
File->Open is the directory of the current document, and not the directory 
from wich TeXmacs was started.

For the specific case of unnamed documents, the associated directory is 
indeed the startup directory.

> Sorry for the long explanation of my personal habits.

No problem, that was just what I was asking for.

As far as I understand, the directory from which TeXmacs is started and the 
directory containing the current document, are the same 90% of the time for 
you. Right?

> You now see that,
> when I see Windows, I always ask: what is my working directory now, and
> receive no answer.

Then, you can consider it's the directory containing the document displayed 
in the focused window. I think that should give you a correct approximation 
for most practical purposes. For example, when you are using Windows 
Explorer, and you start a DOS command line, the DOS session is started in the 
directory displayed by the currently active Explorer Window.

Sorry to appear such a hard-head, but this discussion as pretty nearly 
conviced me that changing the current directory (or worded otherwise, 
changing the meaning of "." from the startup directory to the directory of 
the current document) is the right thing to do.

But I was looking for a generic solution.

The next question would then be: in which directory should external sessions 
be started? In the directory where TeXmacs is started or in the directory of 
the current document? And how does that makes a difference to YOU?