Bad docs for os.path.isabs()

[Ben Allfree]

The docs for os.path.isabs() state:

isabs( path)

Return True if path is an absolute pathname (begins with a slash).

This is false becase os.path.isabs(" C:\\foo") == True

It should read:

isabs( path)

Return True if path is an absolute pathname (begins with a slash or drive
letter).

[Bengt Richter]

Re: Bad docs for os.path.isabs()

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 11:32:46 -0800, "Ben Allfree" <benles@bldigit al.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>The docs for os.path.isabs() state:
>
> isabs( path)
>
>Return True if path is an absolute pathname (begins with a slash).
>
>This is false becase os.path.isabs(" C:\\foo") == True
>
>It should read:
>
> isabs( path)
>
>Return True if path is an absolute pathname (begins with a slash or drive
>letter).[/color]

While you're at it, better take this into account also ;-)
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> import os
>>> os.path.isabs(" C:\\foo")[/color][/color][/color]
True[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> os.path.isabs(" C:foo")[/color][/color][/color]
False[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> os.path.isabs(" \\foo")[/color][/color][/color]
True

For that last one, I think you could argue that it's false, since it does not
absolutely specify what the meaning is in a multi-drive system.

The whole drive letter file path thing is soo lame it makes me incoherent ;-/

Regards,
Bengt Richter

[Peter Hansen]

Re: Bad docs for os.path.isabs()

Ben Allfree wrote:[color=blue]
>
> The docs for os.path.isabs() state:
>
> isabs( path)
>
> Return True if path is an absolute pathname (begins with a slash).
>
> This is false becase os.path.isabs(" C:\\foo") == True
>
> It should read:
>
> isabs( path)
>
> Return True if path is an absolute pathname (begins with a slash or drive
> letter).[/color]

As Bengt says, that revision is still insufficient/incorrect.

Probably the only way it can really be said is something like
"returns True if os.path.abspath () would leave the path unchanged".
(Or some variation on that... i.e. leave the actual specification
to the nuts-and-bolts of the platform-dependent code, rather than
trying to rewrite it in English and risk duplication/errors.)

-Peter

[Peter Hansen]

Re: Bad docs for os.path.isabs()

Frank Bechmann wrote:[color=blue]
>
> IIRC (I currently have no DOS console at hand) even this is wrong:
>
> "Return True if path is not relative to the current working
> directory."
>
> because the case "D:xyz" means a path relative to current path on
> drive D: which is eventually not the same as the current working
> directory.[/color]

You are correct, although the best thing for the world might be
if we all just pretended you weren't. :-)

-Peter