From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2010-02-11T17:06:11+09:00
Subject: Re: ruby cross-platform File.basename

2010/2/10 bwv549 <jtprince@gmail.com>:
>> What's wrong with using File.basename?
>
> On linux, you cannot get the basename of windows-ish files:
>
> # on linux:
> File.basename("C:\\path\\to\\file.txt")  # -> gives: "C:\\path\\to\
> \file.txt"
>
> Heaven knows I would like to avoid all windows path names, but just
> after you write something worthwhile you are told it needs to be able
> to run on windows, too.

Well, File.basename will work properly on a Windows system.  Do you
need to process windows path names on a *nix system?  If not, then you
should be fine just using File.basename.  There is a reason why the
standard library provides this method...

>  The point is that it would be nice to know
> how to *always* get the basename on any system for any kind of
> filename.

That might be difficult without context information.  IMHO that
information about the platform is encoded in File.basename's
implementation on your platform of choice.

Kind regards

robert

-- 
remember.guy do |as, often| as.you_can - without end
http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/