From: Hugh Sasse Staff Elec Eng <hgs@...>
Date: 2000-10-12T02:25:09+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:5421] File.expand_path(), second arg?


I just got:

brains hgs 33 %> ruby -v -e 'File.expand_path("finder.rb", nil)'
ruby 1.6.1 (2000-09-27) [sparc-solaris2.5.1]
-e:1:in `expand_path': failed to convert nil into String (TypeError)
        from -e:1
brains hgs 34 %> 

But the manual (1.4) manual says:


   expand_path(path[,default_dir]) 

      Converts path to absolute, and canonicalized path. Second arg
default_dir is directory to start with if
      path is relative (does not start with slash); if default_dir is nil
or missing, the current directory of the
      process is used. An initial `~' expands to your home directory. An
initial `~USER' expands to USER's
      home directory. 

        expand_path("..")
               => "/home/matz/work"
        expand_path("~")
               => "/home/matz"
        expand_path("~matz")
               => "/home/matz"


I cannot see anything in the changelog about this behaviour changing from
1.4.x (i.e. the docs) to 1.6.x.  Have I got something wrong, or have I
really found a bug?
	Hugh
	hgs@dmu.ac.uk