Re: exec-path "/:" prefix; file-name-handler-*; start-process

[Kai.Grossjohann@CS.Uni-Dortmund.DE (Kai Großjohann)]

Karl Chen <quarl@hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu> writes:

> Why does initializing `exec-path' need to prepend a "/:" to paths that
> "would otherwise be treated as magic" ?
> [emacs.c : decode_env_path ():
>       ...
>       tem = Ffind_file_name_handler (element, Qt);
>       if (! NILP (tem))
>         element = concat2 (build_string ("/:"), element);
>       ...
> ]
>
> All single-directory (single slash) paths in PATH such as /bin turn
> into /:/bin. This may be the fault of sloppy regexes in
> ange-ftp. Seems like a dirty hack, having to say "this is a normal
> path."

Just a random thought on this: it's clearly useful that Ange-FTP
grabs filenames like these -- this enables user/host name
completion.

But now, Tramp takes over those files, and so in principle, one could
require the user to use "/ftp:foo" filenames when user/host name
completion is desired, so it might not be necessary anymore to have
Ange-FTP (or Tramp) grab filenames like "/foo".

I'm not sure what to do, though.

kai
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