outputDirectory ignored for '-s'

[JorySchossau]

Should this be supported? How about for '-l' and '-i' etc.?
I'm encountering this because I'm working on testing, and am invoking various mabes from different locations. I can add extra 'cd' commands to work around this problem.

[cgnitash]

So -s should save settings files in outputDirectory? and same for .plf files with -l?

What is '-i'?

[JorySchossau]

I think so, but am also asking. '-i' is generation of buildOptions - not sure about that one.

[cgnitash]

The '-i' option is an mbuild.py concern, so that should be a different issue I think. The build system we provide is different than what the mabe executable does.

[cgnitash]

So I looked at the code, adn what's easy to do. Right now, it seems that there are 2 options.

1. We could allow the user to set the output directory for '-s' (.cfg) and '-l' (.plf) file options.
2. The .cfg and .plf files are saved to the dir indicated by outputDirectoryPL.

[JorySchossau]

I agree with your comments, and I think option 1 would be best as it seems like something it should do. What are your thoughts between the two?

[JorySchossau]

If like to hear Cliff's thought too. Added.

[VincentRagusa]

When you run -s or -l without first loading a custom output directory from -f settings.cfg or a -p GLOBAL-outputDirectory, how will mabe know to use anything other than the default output directory?

[JorySchossau]

Yes, that would be the behavior of MABE. Do you foresee a problem with that?

[VincentRagusa]

Do you foresee a problem with that?

well, there is the potential for any user to overwrite their current settings files with default settings files unintentionally. But that's true even if we are using the output directory in the settings. I think we should either detect that the user is overriding their settings files and warn them with a [y/N] sort of prompt, or we just leave it as is.

[JorySchossau]

File overwriting conversation moved to #212. That should be resolved first, but deserves its own thread.

[cliff-bohm]

Sorry, I'm very late to the party. I think that -s should save locally, but think that -s [path optional] may be a good option here. In either case, I do not think that we should use the output directory parameter simply because of this case:

a) edit output dir in settings.cfg
b) edit other stuff in settings.cfg
c) update mabe
d) run ./mabe -f settings.cfg -s
e) the user is confused, they loaded the setting file here, but then saved the new setting file to output path...