[Gretl-devel] Belated response to Sven on function packages

[Sven Schreiber]

Allin Cottrell schrieb:
> On Mon, 30 Apr 2007, Sven Schreiber wrote:
> 
>> Allin Cottrell schrieb:
>>
>>> I've now added this: you can load such a matrix file, 
>>> independently of the session mechanism, using the "include" 
>>> command.  So, if I'm understanding the issue correctly, you should 
>>> be able to get the relevant data into gretl without super-long 
>>> command lines: get python to write out a matrices file then ask 
>>> gretl to "include" it.  Here's an example of the format for such a 
>>> file:
>>>

Ok, I have implemented this new matrix transfer mechanism for
py4gretl_vecdecomp and it seems to work well (with the latest win
snapshot). Thanks Allin! I will delay the upload until gretl 1.6.3,
because it won't work with current versions.

Re-adressing one other thing: Do you remember I was asking about whether
 directory meanings for "./" had changed? Well I have observed some
weirdness and now decided to tackle it systematically, because it was
driving me made while testing scripts. Here's what I found, regarding
the question as to where does the command "outfile ./test.txt --write"
save the file to (when gretl is started via the start menu on windows)?

(a) The default current dir for gretl on windows is "c:\Dokumente und
Einstellungen\<loginname>", which is fine.

(b) However, "./" then seems to behave like a kind of global variable
which is changed by every file saving action (for an example session see
below). IMHO that's bad, because it makes things unpredictable.

I would prefer if ./ always stays at the value it has at gretl startup
time. As a second-best solution, I could imagine that ./ is interpreted
relative to the location of the containing script.

What do you think?

cheers,
sven

=================

Example experimentation from which I inferred the current "rules":

(1) Directly from the console as the first thing that is done:
in c:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\<loginname>

(2) Unsaved script, directly after step 1: in the same dir as in step 1

(3) Same script as in 2, but saved: in the same dir where the script was
saved

(4) Unsaved script, same contents as in 2, but now after step 3: in the
same dir as in step 3!!!

(5) From the console again, but after steps 1-4: in the same dir as in
steps 3&4 again!!!

----- restart gretl -----

(6) After having wrapped the command in a simple function package,
execute the package: in the same dir as in step 1

(7) Save another unrelated script or function package to dir <foo>, and
then execute the function package from step 6 again: in dir <foo>!