[David Ascher]
> A python-help poster finally convinced me that there was a way to enable
> automatic wildcard expansion on win32. This is done by linking in
> "setargv.obj" along with all of the other MS libs. Quick testing shows
> that it works.
>
> Is this a feature we want to add? I can see both sides of that coin.
The only real drawback I see is that we're then under some obligation to
document Python's behavior. Which is then inherited from the MS
setargv.obj, which is in turn only partially documented in developer-only
docs, and incorrectly documented at that.
> PS: I saw a RISKS digest posting last week which had a horror story about
> wildcard expansion on some flavor of Windows. The person had two files
> with long filenames:
>
> verylongfile1.txt
> and
> verylongfile2.txt
>
> But Win32 stored them in 8.3 format, so they were stored as
> verylo~2.txt
> and
> verylo~1.txt
>
> (Yes, the 1 and 2 were swapped!). So when he did
>
> del *1.txt
>
> he removed the wrong file. Neat, eh?
>
> (This is actually relevant -- it's possible that setargv.obj and
> glob.glob could give different answers).
Yes, and e.g. it works this way under Win95:
D:\Python>dir *~*
Volume in drive D is DISK1PART2
Volume Serial Number is 1DFF-0F59
Directory of D:\Python
PYCLBR~1 PAT 5,765 06-07-99 11:41p pyclbr.patch
KJBUCK~1 PYD 34,304 03-31-98 3:07a kjbuckets.pyd
WIN32C~1 <DIR> 05-16-99 12:10a win32comext
PYTHON~1 <DIR> 05-16-99 12:10a Pythonwin
TEXTTO~1 <DIR> 01-15-99 11:35p TextTools
UNWISE~1 EXE 109,056 07-03-97 8:35a UnWisePW32.exe
3 file(s) 149,125 bytes
3 dir(s) 1,502,511,104 bytes free
Here's the same thing in an argv-spewing console app whipped up to link
setargv.obj:
D:\Python>garp\debug\garp *~*
0: D:\PYTHON\GARP\DEBUG\GARP.EXE
1: kjbuckets.pyd
2: pyclbr.patch
3: Pythonwin
4: TextTools
5: UnWisePW32.exe
6: win32comext
D:\Python>
setargv.obj is apparently consistent with what native wildcard expansion
does (although you won't find that promise made anywhere!), and it's
definitely surprising in the presence of non-8.3 names. The quoting rules
too are impossible to explain, seemingly random:
D:\Python>garp\debug\garp "\\a\\"
0: D:\PYTHON\GARP\DEBUG\GARP.EXE
1: \\a\
D:\Python>
Before I was on the Help list, I used to believe it would work to just say
"well, it does what Windows does" <wink>.
magnification-of-ignorance-ly y'rs - tim
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