basename returns "." not in filename (PR#13958)

Mmh,

Point is, I gather, that trailing slashes are removed, e.g.,

viggo:~/>basename foo/
foo

So, not a bug.

This unfortunately means that we cannot distinguish between 
1) a path with a filename
2) a path without a filename

For example in the next version of the ff-package we allow a user to
specify a 'pattern' for all files of a ff dataframe which is path
together with a fileprefix, the above means we cannot specify an empty
prefix "" for the current working directory, because 

dirname("./.")

[1] "."

basename("./.")

[1] "."

dirname("./")

[1] "."

basename("./")

[1] "."

Jens Oehlschl?gel

I am getting confused by this discussion. At least on Unixoid systems,
and I believe it holds for Windows systems too, "." stands for the
current directory ("working directory").

Moreover, "./" means exactly the same as ".": If you list the files
in "./" you will get exactly the same as if you list the files in ".".

Further, "<any directory>/." means the same as "<any directory>/"
and the same as "<any directory>", so (on the same basis) "./." also
means exactly the same as ".".

Therefore the second "." in "./." is not a filename.

What the above examples of dirname and basename usage are returning
is simply a specific representation of the current working directlory.

Forgive me if I have not seen the point, but what I think I have seen
boils down to the interpretation I have given above.

Best wishes,
Ted.

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Date: 18-Sep-09                                       Time: 22:35:34
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