[Bug: 21.4.19] Windows XP: can't open files like ~/My Documents/foo.txt

[Vin Shelton]

On 7/13/06, Hans Muller <Hans.Muller at sun.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the response.  I left for vacation shortly after sending the
> problem
> report so this is a rather belated reply:
>
> Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> >>>>>> "Hans" == Hans Muller <Hans.Muller at Sun.COM> writes:
> >>>>>>
> >
> >     Hans>  On Windows XP, I'm unable to open files in common
> >     Hans> directories like "~/My Documents".  If I had to guess, the
> >     Hans> problem is with filenames that contain spaces.
> >
> > How are you opening them?  With C-x C-f, or with the Open File Dialog?
> > Where exactly do you run into a problem?
> >
> Either approach for opening a file fails.  I've found that opening "~/My
> Documents" in dired, and
> then creating a new subdirectory (with "+") and then opening a files in
> the subdir, does work.
> Maybe the problem (on XP) has to do with paths whose directory component
> ends with a name that contains a space?
> > With C-x C-f, as far as I know quoting the space with C-q should allow
> > you to enter it in the minibuffer, and that should be sufficient to
> > open the file.  (Works for me on Linux for a file name.)
> Doesn't work on XP.    Result is:  "File not found and directory write
> protected".

This Just Works For Me with either a cygwin or native build with a
recent 21.4.19 build.  Is your HOME environment variable set
explicitly?  Mine is set to e:/acs, but I bet in your case,  ~ expands
to a name with a space in it (probably c:\Documents and
Settings\hans).  My guess is that expanding the home directory needs
to be quoted somehow.  What does this evaluate to:

    (getenv "HOME")

Does this work:

    C-x C-f c:\Documents and Settings\hans\My Documents\foo.txt

Another experiment I'd like you to try, please, is to:

    (setq debug-on-error t)
    C-x C-f ~/My Documents/foo.txt

and please send the backtrace to xemacs-beta.

Thanks,
  Vin

-- 
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.			Mary Oliver