Loading configuration files in an OS-agnostic way

[Gavri Savio Fernandez]

Hi,
I downloaded ruby-google and tried to run the sample code when I noticed that the code was unusable as is, in Windows, because it assumed that the configuration file is named .google_key and Win 2000 Professional atleast does not allow '.' to be the first character of a filename.

KEY = File.open("#{ENV['HOME']}/.google_key") {|kf| kf.readline.chomp}

I made a quick modification just so I could get it working. (Ugly, I know)

KEY =
begin
File.open("#{ENV['HOME']}/.google_key") {|kf| kf.readline.chomp}
rescue
File.open("#{ENV['HOME']}/~google_key") {|kf| kf.readline.chomp}
end


What I'd like to know is what is the ruby idiom for choosing configuration files in an OS-agnostic way? (Emacs does this, choosing ~emacs on Win and .emacs on Linux) . Or is this too simple an issue to require an idiom?

thanks,
gavri

 

[Peter Cooper]

unusable as is, in Windows, because it assumed that the configuration
file is named .google_key and Win 2000 Professional atleast does not
allow '.' to be the first character of a filename.

Are you sure? That strikes me as odd, and Windows XP (which is
essentially 2000+goodies anyway) is fine with it. Most systems I have
encountered which are attempting to be agnostic use a period regardless
(or a tilde, as you have).

Pete

 

[Pit Capitain]

Are you sure? That strikes me as odd, and Windows XP (which is
essentially 2000+goodies anyway) is fine with it. Most systems I have
encountered which are attempting to be agnostic use a period regardless
(or a tilde, as you have).

At least on Win 2000, you can't create such a file in the Windows Explorer, but
you sure can in Ruby:

File.open ".google_key", "w" do |out| out.puts "# config" end

Regards,
Pit