Maxima Function
file_search (filename)
file_search(filename,pathlist)
file_search
searches for the file filename and returns the path to the file
(as a string) if it can be found; otherwise file_search
returns false
.
file_search (filename)
searches in the default search directories,
which are specified by the file_search_maxima
, file_search_lisp
, and file_search_demo
variables.
file_search
first checks if the actual name passed exists,
before attempting to match it to ``wildcard'' file search patterns.
See concerning file search patterns.
The argument filename can be a path and file name, or just a file name, or, if a file search directory includes a file search pattern, just the base of the file name (without an extension). For example,
file_search ("/home/wfs/special/zeta.mac"); file_search ("zeta.mac"); file_search ("zeta");
all find the same file, assuming the file exists and /home/wfs/special/###.mac
is in file_search_maxima
.
file_search (filename, pathlist)
searches only in the directories
specified by pathlist,
which is a list of strings.
The argument pathlist supersedes the default search directories,
so if the path list is given, file_search
searches only the ones specified,
and not any of the default search directories.
Even if there is only one directory in pathlist, it must still be given as a one-element list.
The user may modify the default search directories. See .
file_search
is invoked by load
with file_search_maxima
and file_search_lisp
as the search directories.