Per user dirs on Non-Unix platforms (was Re: [Python-Dev] Where to install non-code files) (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Sun, 28 May 2000 19:00:39 -0500

> Modifyable data needs to go in a per-user directory, even on Windows, > outside the Python tree.

Is there a reliable algorithm to find a "per-user" directory on any Win95/98/NT/2000 system? On MacOS?

I don't know -- often HOMEissetonWindows.E.g.IDLEusesHOME is set on Windows. E.g. IDLE uses HOMEissetonWindows.E.g.IDLEusesHOME if set and otherwise the current directory.

The Mac doesn't have an environment at all.

Idea: Wouldn't it be nice if the 'nt' and 'mac' versions of the 'os' module would provide 'os.environ["HOME"]' similar to the posix version? This would certainly simplify the task of application programmers intending to write portable applications.

This sounds like a nice idea...

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)