sourcing files in a different directory

[Ben Abbott]

On Jun 16, 2008, at 12:48 AM, Kamaraju S Kusumanchi wrote:

> Consider the following directory structure.
>
> $tree dir1
> dir1
> |-- dir2
> |   `-- scriptA.m
> |-- script1.m
> |-- script2.m
> `-- script3.m
>
> where the files are defined as
>
> $cat dir1/script1.m
> 1;
> a=1
>
> $cat dir1/script2.m
> 1;
> b=2
>
> $cat dir1/script3.m
> 1;
> script1;
> script2;
> c=a+b
>
> $cat dir1/dir2/scriptA.m
> 1;
> ../script1;
> ../script2;
> d=2*a+b
>
>
> In general dir1/script3.m depends upon the functions/variables  
> defined in
> dir1/script1.m, dir1/script2.m.
> dir1/dir2/scriptA.m depends upon the functions/variables defined in
> dir1/script1.m, dir1/script2.m but conflicts with dir1/script3.m.
>
> I am able to execute dir1/script3.m
>
> $cd dir1
>
> $octave -q
> octave:1> script3
> a =  1
> b =  2
> c =  3
> octave:2> exit
>
>
> but not dir1/dir2/scriptA.m.
>
> $cd ..
>
> $cd dir1/dir2
>
> $octave -q
> octave:1> scriptA
> parse error near line 2 of
> file /home/rajulocal/work/octave/dir1/dir2/scriptA.m
>
>  syntax error
>
>>>> ../script1;
>    ^
>
> parse error near line 2 of
> file /home/rajulocal/work/octave/dir1/dir2/scriptA.m
>
>  syntax error
>
>>>> ../script1;
>      ^
>
> error: near line 2 of file `/home/rajulocal/work/octave/dir1/dir2/ 
> scriptA.m'
> octave:1>
>
>
>
> Is there any way to overcome this problem and be able to source  
> specific
> files from other directories? I do not want to use addpath and add  
> dir1 to
> the list of directories for searching the functions since that would  
> add
> dir1/script3.m besides dir1/script1.m, dir2/script2.m as well. I  
> want to
> have access only to dir1/script1.m, dir1/script2.m but not to
> dir1/script3.m
>
> Any ideas/comments/suggestions regarding this issue are very  
> welcome. I am
> using Debian Etch, octave 3.0.0-9
>
> thanks
> raju

In scriptA, you might replace "../script1;" with

	addpath ("..")
	script1;

I haven't yet had my coffee this morning. However, I expect someone  
will come along momentarily and give a nice explanation for why your  
approach didn't work :-)

Ben