Re: [Emacs-diffs] /srv/bzr/emacs/trunk r105295: * lisp/progmodes/etags.el (etags-file-of-tag, etags-tags-table-files)

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> Cc: sds@gnu.org,  emacs-devel@gnu.org
> Date: Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:24:38 -0400
> 
> Still, the problem is that the intended meaning of
> convert-standard-filename is unclear (what should it do on relative
> file names?)

For relative file names, it should produce a relative file name whose
name is valid on the underlying filesystem.

This may mean converting more than a single component of the original
name, e.g., if it includes leading directories, as in
"~/.emacs.d/.emacs.something".

With that definition, the same applies to absolute file names, of
course.

> and that the functionality require by the OP is not quite
> the one provided by convert-standard-filename, AFAIK

The addition of converting Cygwin file names to native w32 file names
is an add-on functionality.  Originally, convert-standard-filename was
not supposed to handle these issues at all.  The function was actually
created for the DOS port, at RMS's advice (when he saw that I was
committing changes to defcustom's that used a different file name
conditioned by system-type).  The rest is history...

> My understanding is:
> - convert-standard-filename is to convert a predefined name, which may
>   be mentioned in docs, using mostly Unix conventions so that it works
>   on whichever OS we're using.  E.g. it may do things like map ".emacs"
>   to "_emacs".

Correct.

> - the function Sam needs is one that converts from "file name using
>   conventions used in the system in which Emacs is running" to "file
>   name referring to the same file but such that Emacs can access it".
>   Doing things like "However, on Windows and DOS, replace invalid
>   characters" is not the right thing to do.

Agreed.

> BTW the function he wants is also the function that should be applied to
> files names received in command-line-args and as args to emacsclient
> (as was recently requested by some other poster).

Indeed.