How to read file from executable directory?

[Sim085]

I am using fopen to open a file to read this. To this I pass the name of the file I want to read. However the problem is the the path of the file to be read is relative to the location from where the executable is executed.

For example if I have the following:

System:SayHello/SayHelloExe
System:SayHello/HelloMessage.txt

If I go to System:SayHello to run SayHelloExe then it works fine. However if for example I go to System: and run SayHelloExe as follows "System:SayHello/SayHelloExe" then SayHelloExe will look for HelloMessage.txt in System: rather than in System:SayHello/SayHelloExe

One way I can think of to solve this if I could get the location of SayHelloExe when this is executing from args[0]. However I noticed that if I move SayHelloExe to System:C and run this from console as just SayHelloExe then there is no path location from where this is executing.

Is there a standard way this is done?

[alkis]

If you are targeting OS>=2.0 then the dynamic assign PROGDIR: would probably fit your needs.
http://www.amigareport.com/ar311/progdir.html

[Sim085]

Thank you. This looks exactly what I am looking for.

Originally Posted by alkis

If you are targeting OS>=2.0 then the dynamic assign PROGDIR: would probably fit your needs.
http://www.amigareport.com/ar311/progdir.html

[Sim085]

I do not know if anyone knows why this is happening. I am now loading my text file from "PROGDIR:HelloMessage.txt". The strange thing is that this works fine when I execute my program from shell. However when I use ZShell it does not work.

For example;

Given I have my executable and text file in "bin/", if I execute "bin/SayHello" from Shell it works fine but if I execute "bin/SayHello" from ZShell the file is not found. The solution works fine from both Shell and ZShell if I execute directly from "bin/". The solution also works fine if I copy it and the text file to "System:C". I then can run from both Shell and ZShell.

Has anyone ever faced this problem and knows why in ZShell running a solution in a sub-directory results in PROGDIR not being read correctly?

Code I am using to test this is as follows:

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
int main()
{
    char *path = "PROGDIR:HelloMessage.txt";
    FILE *f = (FILE *)fopen(path, "r");
    char *text = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * 255);
    fread(text, 1, 255, f);
    printf("%s\n\n",text);
}

Originally Posted by Sim085

Thank you. This looks exactly what I am looking for.

[Sim085]

Here is a screenshot of what I mean.



Above is same solution which I copied to System:C (together with the HelloMessage.txt) executed from Shell and ZShell. Using the full path to execute the solution works in Shell but not ZShell. Executing the solution directly works on both Shell and ZShell.

Would anyone know why the different behavior between ZShell and Shell when executing the solution using the full path System:C/SayHello?
In the end isn't it the same application being executed regardless of from where this has been triggered?

Is it a problem with the code? or code looks ok?

btw - please ignore the "Fail Limit" error at the end.

[thomas]

I think PROGDIR: depends on the pr_HomeDir field in the CLI structure. This is a new field in OS 2.0 and as ZShell runs on 1.3, too, it probably does not set this field.

[Sim085]

Thank you Thomas

That is some background I sure don't have

Originally Posted by thomas

I think PROGDIR: depends on the pr_HomeDir field in the CLI structure. This is a new field in OS 2.0 and as ZShell runs on 1.3, too, it probably does not set this field.

[Sim085]

Is there a way how to get the value of PROGDIR so that if this returns empty I can apply some workaround condition? I can try to open and if I get nothing I apply the work around. However was thinking if there is a more cleaner way to do it.

[alkis]

ZShell does:

	lea	pr_CurrentDir(a3),a3	(A3)=ptr to current dir
	move.l	(a3),d3			d3=current dir at beginning
	move.l	d3,d4			d4=PROGDIR:
	...
	...
	...
	cmp.w	#36,kickver(a5)
	blo.s	.A
	move.l	thistask(a5),a3
	move.l	d4,pr_HomeDir(a3)	init PROGDIR:
.A	move.l	d0,temp1(a5)		save the segment

so from the looks of it, it accounts for OS>=2.0 but set pr_HomeDir to pr_CurrentDir for some reason.

[Thomas Richter]

Originally Posted by alkis

So from the looks of it, it accounts for OS>=2.0 but set pr_HomeDir to pr_CurrentDir for some reason.

Without context, one cannot say whether this is correct or not. It depends on what the current directory is at the time of execution.



What the AmigaOs shell does is that it sets pr_HomeDir (and hence PROGDIR to the directory that contains the executable, or script. It is set to NIL for resident commands. Thus beware: If a program is pure, it also means that it cannot access data relative to PROGIDR:

[Sim085]

What does "pure" mean?

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Thus beware: If a program is pure, it also means that it cannot access data relative to PROGIDR:

From what I can see, given the solution is placed in System:C from ZShell it will not work if executed as follows:

System> System:C/SayHello

or

System> C/SayHello

But will work if executed directly:

System>SayHello

I can also see that if the solution is placed in some other sub-directory, example located in System:MyProg/SayHello on ZShell it will not work if run as follows:

System>System:MyProg/SayHello

but will work if I first cd to MyProg

System>cd MyProg
System:MyProg>SayHello

On AmigaShell it always works fine.

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Without context, one cannot say whether this is correct or not.

[alkis]

Absolute and relative path calling the exe doesn't find the datafile, unless you place the datafile in the current directory. (Tested)

I guess that behavior confirms my original interpretation.

[thomas]

Originally Posted by Sim085

What does "pure" mean?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reentrancy_(computing)

[alkis]

Can you give this zshell a try. I think I've patched the issue.

Source code included.
I use : vasmm68k_mot -nosym -kick1hunks -Fhunkexe -o zshell ZShell.s
to assemble it.

[Sim085]

Hi alkis, Many thanks for this. Yes looks like this version works fine. I have attached screenshot below:



I can see you also added the result of last command issued in the brackets.

Originally Posted by alkis

Can you give this zshell a try. I think I've patched the issue.

[alkis]

Originally Posted by Sim085

Hi alkis, Many thanks for this. Yes looks like this version works fine.

Great!

Originally Posted by Sim085

I can see you also added the result of last command issued in the brackets.

Yeah, I like this.

You can

prompt "%P >"

if you don't like it.

[Sim085]

Unfortunately I just discovered that the fix for PROGDIR seems to somehow has an effect on the command line arguments. In summary, the binary name is missing from argv[0].

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    printf("\n\nargv0 = %s\n\n", argv[0]);
    return 0;
}

[alkis]

Oops. Yeah, fixed in this one. Sorry.

[Sim085]

Works great. Amazing.

Originally Posted by alkis

Oops. Yeah, fixed in this one. Sorry.

[bebbo]

Originally Posted by Sim085

I am using fopen to open a file to read this. To this I pass the name of the file I want to read. However the problem is the the path of the file to be read is relative to the location from where the executable is executed.

For example if I have the following:

System:SayHello/SayHelloExe
System:SayHello/HelloMessage.txt

If I go to System:SayHello to run SayHelloExe then it works fine. However if for example I go to System: and run SayHelloExe as follows "System:SayHello/SayHelloExe" then SayHelloExe will look for HelloMessage.txt in System: rather than in System:SayHello/SayHelloExe

One way I can think of to solve this if I could get the location of SayHelloExe when this is executing from args[0]. However I noticed that if I move SayHelloExe to System:C and run this from console as just SayHelloExe then there is no path location from where this is executing.

Is there a standard way this is done?

The standard way:


use current directory = curdir
use program name = argv[0] = prog


if prog is absolute then
use prog
else
combine curdir with prog
endif


---
example


curdir = dh1:foo/bar, prog = exe
-> dh1:/foo/bar/exe


curdir = dh1:foo/bar, prog = /faa/exe
-> dh1:/foo/faa/exe

curdir = dh1:foo/bar, prog = dh0:exe
-> dh0:exe