Canonicalizing File Paths

All parameters can be divided into two groups:

  1. The PROJECT parameter and any other parameter with _DIR used as suffix (DATAIN_DIR, CONN_DIR, MY_PARAM_DIR, etc.).

  2. All the other parameters.

Either group is distinguished with corresponding icon in the Parameter Wizard.

The parameters of the first group serve to automatically canonicalize file paths displayed in the URL File dialog and in the Outline pane in the following way:

  1. If any of these parameters matches the beginning of a path, corresponding part of the beginning of the path is replaced with this parameter.

  2. If multiple parameters match different parts of the beginning of the same path, parameter expressing the longest part of the path is selected.

Example 13. Canonicalizing File Paths

  • If you have two parameters:
    MY_PARAM1_DIR and MY_PARAM2_DIR
    Their values are:
    MY_PARAM1_DIR = "mypath/to" and MY_PARAM2_DIR = "mypath/to/some"
    If the path is:
    mypath/to/some/directory/with/the/file.txt
    The path is displayed as follows:
    ${MY_PARAM2_DIR}/directory/with/the/file.txt

  • If you had two parameters:
    MY_PARAM1_DIR and MY_PARAM3_DIR
    With the values:
    MY_PARAM1_DIR = "mypath/to" and MY_PARAM3_DIR = "some"
    With the same path as above:
    mypath/to/some/directory/with/the/file.txt
    The path would be displayed as follows:
    ${MY_PARAM1_DIR}/some/directory/with/the/file.txt

  • If you had a parameter:
    MY_PARAM1
    With the value:
    MY_PARAM1 = "mypath/to"
    With the same path as above:
    mypath/to/some/directory/with/the/file.txt
    The path would not be canonicalized at all.
    Although the same string mypath/to at the beginning of the path can be expressed using the parameter called MY_PARAM1, such parameter does not belong to the group of parameters that are able to canonicalize the paths. For this reason, the path would not be canonicalized with this parameter and the full path would be displayed as is.

Warning!

Remember that the following paths would not be displayed in URL File dialog and Outline pane:

${MY_PARAM1_DIR}/${MY_PARAM3_DIR}/directory/with/the/file.txt
${MY_PARAM1}/some/directory/with/the/file.txt
mypath/to/${MY_PARAM2_DIR}/directory/with/the/file.txt