Path/Directory separator inconsistent.

SPlatten

@J-Hilk , why do I need to call another function in order to correct it? Surely the intuitive thing would be for the separator just to return the correct separator or test the content and return whatever is already being used.

KroMignon

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

, that doesn't help because as my example proves, if the path already contains "/" then it still appends "".

As written in documentation, with QDir separator will always be '/', QDir::separator() will give you the system path separator. There is no link between them!

So if you variable path is filled with a return value from QDir, QFile, QFileInfo, checking them with QDir::separator() is a nonsense. It will fails on every Windows system.

JonB

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

Surely the intuitive thing would be for the separator

Because then Qt paths, like C:/Users/simon/Documents/ProjectName/build-ProjectName-Desktop_Qt_5_8_0_MSVC2013_32bit-Debug, would never return a separator if you searched them for it.

As others have said:

QDir::separator() will always be / platform-independent, and as used in all internal Qt functions.
QDir::toNativeSeparators(QDir::separator()) will return \ under Windows. Which you only need if you're doing something to do with OS commands. What else do you actually need it for?

Why does this irk you so, seems fine to me?

J.Hilk

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

@J-Hilk , why do I need to call another function in order to correct it? Surely the intuitive thing would be for the separator just to return the correct separator or test the content and return whatever is already being used.

Nono, you're comparing Apple and Oranges!

QDir::currentPath().toLatin1().data()

returns a Qt conform string with '/' as separators than you check with

QChar separator = QDir::separator();

if '\' is the ending that can't work.

After seeing this I then appended a separator on the path before the test just to see what happens.

this is still confusing, can you show what exactly you'Re doing here ?

SPlatten

@J-Hilk , this was the code:

QChar separator = QDir::separator();
QString newPath(path);

if (!newPath.endsWith(separator)) {
    newPath += separator;
}

@JonB, you can't pass QDir::separator() to QDir::toNativeSeparators as there is only one version of this function and it expects a QString not a QChar.

It's all just messy and requires thought and effort when it should be handled internally.

J.Hilk

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

It's all just messy and requires thought and effort when it should be handled internally.

it is handled internally, thats the point. The only possibly confusing point could be, that QDir has no QDir::QtSeperator() that returns a QChar('/'); that you could use.

Simply write

QChar separator('/');
if (!path.endsWith(separator) {
    path += separator;
}

and use toNativeSeperators, if you actually need the native part, for example to display the path or to hand it of to an external non qt program

KroMignon

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

It's all just messy and requires thought and effort when it should be handled internally.

There is no mess here, it is clearly documented:

QDir always use '/' as path separator. So path string can the same on every system for which your application is build
QDir::separator() gives you the system path separator on which application is running
QDir::toNativeSeparators(), will convert the given string to a string using QDir::separator() so it will be acceptable by the system.
QDir:cleanPath(), will ensure you path has no redondant separators, and use '/' as separator

So your code is wrong.
This could work:

QString newPath(QDir::cleanPath(path));

if (!newPath.endsWith('/')) {
    newPath += '/';
}

SPlatten

@KroMignon , I'm writing an application that uses paths that may be supplied in text files, the application should not rely on what the Qt library uses.

KroMignon

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

I'm writing an application that uses paths that may be supplied in text files, the application should not rely on what the Qt library uses.

And what is the problem with that?
Simply use QDir:cleanPath() to ensure your path string is correct.

JonB

@SPlatten said in Path/Directory separator inconsistent.:

@JonB, you can't pass QDir::separator() to QDir::toNativeSeparators as there is only one version of this function and it expects a QString not a QChar.

Why do you make this kind of statement without checking?

    QString sep = QDir::toNativeSeparators(QDir::separator());

SPlatten

I did exactly that, in the version of Qt Creator I'm using there is only one function.

JonB

@SPlatten
No, you did not try the code! There is just the one function in my version of Qt too! And it accepts the same parameter type as yours.... static QString toNativeSeparators(const QString &pathName);, https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qdir.html#toNativeSeparators.

SPlatten

@JonB , Qt Creator 4.2.1, Based on Qt 5.8.0 (MSCV 2015, 32 bit), thats the version on the laptop I'm using for this project and I can sure you that the version only excepts a const QString&, there is no alternative in this IDE.

JonB

@SPlatten
It has nothing to do with the IDE, at all.

I can sure you

It does have to do with the behaviour of C++, and QString....

Would you be kind enough to copy & paste my line into your version, and tell me the outcome, please? Show me the error message you get at compile-time, thank you.

SPlatten

@JonB , QDir::separator does not return a QString it returns a QChar.

JonB

@SPlatten
I KNOW THIS.

HAVE YOU ACTUALLY TRIED IT, DESPITE WHAT YOU SAY??????????

SPlatten

@JonB How can I try it when it won't compile without errors? Stop shouting and calm down!

JonB

@SPlatten
Could you please put it into your code, and show me the compile-time error message you get, as requested? I should be most obliged....

jsulm

@SPlatten Sorry, but I have to support @JonB here: that line of code compiles just fine.
"it returns a QChar" - which converts just fine to a QString (https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qstring.html#QString-2).

SPlatten

@JonB , sorry, I just don't have time to back tract now, apologies if I was wrong.