A Gnuplot question

[Ben Abbott]

Actually the script did exactly as it should. However, it is not doing  
what you want.

The pwd refers to the directory from where the script is called, not  
the directory the script resides.

If the gnuplot script is in your path, and you don't mind not  
permitting its name to be changed you can create a script named  
"script.gp" and have it find itself with some system calls. Try the  
script below, be sure to name the script "script.gp", or change the  
script_name appropriately.

-------------------
#!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
script_name = "script.gp"
script_and_path = system(sprintf("which %s",script_name))
path_to_script = system(sprintf("dirname %s",script_and_path))
cd path_to_script
pwd
-------------------

Ben


On Nov 27, 2008, at 10:27 PM, Vic Norton wrote:

> Yes, Ben, I saw Dieter's response. It was no help.
>
> And "." doesn't help either, I'm afraid. For example, I have just  
> tested a two line script (shebang line excluded) that reads
>
>   #!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
>   cd ".";
>   pwd;
>
> This script resides in my "~/gnuplot/Scripts" scripts directory.  
> According to your theory the script should produce "~/gnuplot/ 
> Scripts".
> I does not. It produces "/". Apparently my "working directory" was  
> the root "/", and "." just references the root directory. In any  
> case "." has no relation to the "~/gnuplot/Scripts" where my script  
> resides.
>
> I guess I'll give up this quest on the octave list. It's clear I'm  
> getting nowhere. Thanks for your efforts.
>
> Regards,
>
> Vic
>
> On Nov 27, 2008, at 11:21 AM, Ben Abbott wrote:
>
>> Vic,
>>
>> Did you see Dieter's response?
>>
>> In any event, I assume you are calling your script from the  
>> directory "Markowitz_critical_line", correct?
>>
>> Why not make use of "." ... which is synonymous with the present  
>> working directory?
>>
>>>  #!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
>>>
>>>  ## SE_2006-09-15_rank9.plot
>>>
>>>  cd "./Gnuplot";
>>>  load './data/assetSEpoints_2006-09-15_rank9.pts';
>>>  load './data/efficientFunctions_2006-09-15_rank9.fcn';
>>
>>
>> Perhaps you might avoid using "cd"?
>>
>>>  #!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
>>>
>>>  ## SE_2006-09-15_rank9.plot
>>>
>>>  load './Gnuplot/data/assetSEpoints_2006-09-15_rank9.pts';
>>>  load './Gnuplot/data/efficientFunctions_2006-09-15_rank9.fcn';
>>
>> That won't work if you're calling your script from somewhere other  
>> than the "Markowitz_critical_line" folder.
>>
>> Ben
>>
>> On Nov 27, 2008, at 10:06 AM, Vic Norton wrote:
>>
>>> Here's the situation.
>>>
>>> The first lines of a gnuplot script are
>>>
>>>  #!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
>>>
>>>  ## SE_2006-09-15_rank9.plot
>>>
>>>  cd "~/octave/Markowitz_critical_line/Gnuplot";
>>>  load 'data/assetSEpoints_2006-09-15_rank9.pts';
>>>  load 'data/efficientFunctions_2006-09-15_rank9.fcn';
>>>
>>> I want to distribute the folder, "Markowitz_critical_line", but  
>>> clearly the gnuplot code is NOT portable unless a receiver of the  
>>> distribution puts this "Markowitz_critical_line" folder in his own  
>>> "~/octave" directory.
>>>
>>> The gnuplot script is in "Markowitz_critical_line/Gnuplot"; so  
>>> what I really want is
>>>
>>>  cd HERE;
>>>
>>> where HERE is the directory of the calling script. Then the next  
>>> two "load" lines will work fine no matter where someone puts the  
>>> "Markowitz_critical_line" folder.
>>>
>>> So my question is this: How do you define HERE in gnuplot?
>>>
>>> In octave
>>>
>>>  HERE = fileparts(mfilename("fullpath"));
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Vic
>>>
>>> On Nov 26, 2008, at 7:53 PM, Vic Norton wrote:
>>>> Unfortunately "help cd" is no help, Thomas.
>>>> Syntax:
>>>>    cd '<directory-name>'
>>>> works if you know the directory-name. I want the Gnuplot script to
>>>> tell me the name of the directory in which it resides. Then the  
>>>> code
>>>> will be portable.
>>>
>>> On Nov 26, 2008, at 8:36 PM, Ben Abbott wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't see what that has to do with making code portable. Can  
>>>> you be more specific?
>>>
>>
>