File::Spec::Mac(3)

NAME
File::Spec::Mac - File::Spec for MacOS

SYNOPSIS
require File::Spec::Mac;

DESCRIPTION
Methods for manipulating file specifications.

METHODS
On MacOS, there's nothing to be done. Returns what it's given. Concatenate two or more directory names to form a complete path ending with a directory. Put a trailing : on the end of the complete path if there isn't one, because that's what's done in MacPerl's environment.

The fundamental requirement of this routine is that

          File::Spec->catdir(split(":",$path)) eq $path
But because of the nature of Macintosh paths, some additional possibilities are allowed to make using this routine give reasonable results for some common situations. Here are the rules that are used. Each argument has its trailing ":" removed. Each argument, except the first, has its leading ":" removed. They are then joined together by a ":".

So

          File::Spec->catdir("a","b") = "a:b:"
          File::Spec->catdir("a:",":b") = "a:b:"
          File::Spec->catdir("a:","b") = "a:b:"
          File::Spec->catdir("a",":b") = "a:b"
          File::Spec->catdir("a","","b") = "a::b"
etc.

To get a relative path (one beginning with :), begin the first argument with : or put a "" as the first argument.

If you don't want to worry about these rules, never allow a ":" on the ends of any of the arguments except at the beginning of the first.

Under MacPerl, there is an additional ambiguity. Does the user intend that

          File::Spec->catfile("LWP","Protocol","http.pm")
be relative or absolute? There's no way of telling except by checking for the existence of LWP: or :LWP, and even there he may mean a dismounted volume or a relative path in a different directory (like in @INC). So those checks aren't done here. This routine will treat this as absolute. Concatenate one or more directory names and a filename to form a complete path ending with a filename. Since this uses catdir, the same caveats apply. Note that the leading : is removed from the filename, so that

          File::Spec->catfile($ENV{HOME},"file");
and

          File::Spec->catfile($ENV{HOME},":file");
give the same answer, as one might expect. Returns a string representing of the current directory. Returns a string representing the root directory. Under MacPerl, returns the name of the startup volume, since that's the closest in concept, although other volumes aren't rooted there. On any other platform returns '', since there's no common way to indicate "root directory" across all Macs. Returns a string representing the parent directory. Takes as argument a path and returns true, if it is an absolute path. In the case where a name can be either relative or absolute (for example, a folder named "HD" in the current working directory on a drive named "HD"), relative wins. Use ":" in the appropriate place in the path if you want to distinguish unambiguously. Returns the null list for the MacPerl application, since the concept is usually meaningless under MacOS. But if you're using the MacPerl tool under MPW, it gives back $ENV{Commands} suitably split, as is done in :lib:ExtUtils:MM_Mac.pm.

SEE ALSO
the File::Spec manpage