[GRASS-dev] Re: [GRASS-user] AddOn or Script when compiling GRASS from source

[Glynn Clements]

Hamish wrote:

> > Martin wrote:
> > > so what's the preferred solution for G7
> > > 
> > > 1) single variable GRASS_ADDON_PATH for all components
> > >    (as it is)
> > > 2) two variables - GRASS_ADDON_BASE and
> > >    GRASS_ADDON_PATH (path only as in G6)
> Glynn:
> > #1. Although the name doesn't matter.
> > 
> > If the user wants to add extra executable directories,
> > they can modify PATH directly.
> 
> 
> [moving this thread over to the dev list]
> 
> as per earlier email in this thread, from my POV option
> #2 is the preferred solution. Definitely change the name
> away from PATH for usage which isn't $PATH anymore.
> 
> if it doesn't harm to automatically prepend the $PATH,
> then why not make that easy for those who want to use it?

Because it's one more unnecessary environment variable. Some systems
have a limit (4k is common) on the combined memory used by the
environment and the command line, so enlarging the environment reduces
the maximum length of a command.

A single environment variable is sufficient to find all components of
an add-on. The original idea seems to have been based upon the
assumption that an add-on would consist of a single script, with no
additional files. That assumption should be false for anything from
the add-ons repository (there should at least be a manual page).

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>