Re: gnulib-tool --local-dir question

[Bruno Haible]

Eric Blake wrote:
> For an example, with
> just gpl-3.0.texi.diff and version-etc.c.diff, the difference is between:
> 
> --local-dir=local
> local/lib/version-etc.c.diff
> local/doc/gpl-3.0.texi.diff
> 
> or
> 
> --local-dir=local
> local/version-etc.c.diff
> local/gpl-3.0.texi.diff

The latter introduces ambiguities; the developer will wonder to which files
the diffs actually apply. Simon proposes:

> How about:
>
> local/lib_version-etc.c.diff
> local/doc_gpl-3.0.texi.diff
>
> or
>
> local/lib+version-etc.c.diff
> local/doc+gpl-3.0.texi.diff

This is a bit better, but maybe '%' or ':' are better separators.

Generally, I'm not in favour of such a shortcut, because
  - the gain is small, and it's usually better to have just one way
    to achieve a certain functionality rather than two (because each
    of the two will be less well tested than the common way),
  - it doesn't scale; look at a rather populated local directory in [1].

If you want to prepare a patch, I'm not absolutely opposed to it; the
function to modify is func_lookup_file.

Bruno

[1] http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/gettext/gnulib-local/?root=gettext