no automatic autoexec path in the ini

[Enjay]

When you start Zdoom for the first time without an ini, it puts in a line to tell you where the autoexec.cfg file should be. This defaults to the full path for whatever the current directory is. However, Zdoom performs just as well if the path is missed out because Zdoom automatically looks in the current directory anyway. ie, just having

Code: Select all

[Doom.AutoExec]
Path=autoexec.cfg

Works just was well as having

Code: Select all

[Doom.AutoExec]
Path=C:\anincrediblylongpathname\autoexec.cfg

So, putting the path name in is redundant in most cases and if a user ever wanted to put their autoexec in a different directory, they'd have to edit the ini manually anyway.

However, the current behaviour can cause problems. If you rename or move your Zdoom directory, and forget/don't realise you need to edit the ini to reflect the new autoexec location, your autoexec settings "disappear" as far as the game is concerned. Similarly, if you copy your Zdoom directory to another location for testing purposes of some sort, the new copy of Zdoom will look in the old directory for your autoexec because that's where the ini says it is.

Defaulting to just the autoexec file name with no path, but still supporting full path info would do the trick. Or perhaps there should be 2 parameters: 1 for the path (which can be blank to look in the current directory) and 1 for the file name. Or perhaps that's overkill.

Or perhaps "Overkill" is a song by Motörhead!

[Siggi]

There is one advantage to the full path being stored. When you drag wads over the executable the "running directory" is often not the same as the actual location of zdoom.exe. Remember the disappearing screenshots mystery?

[HobbsTiger1]

The problem with only having it "autoexec.cfg" is relative paths in windows generally suck.

[David Ferstat]

The problem with only having it "autoexec.cfg" is relative paths in windows generally suck.

?

Please explain.

[HobbsTiger1]

It is of my experience in windows when using the relative path for opening files in programs (windows only mind you) that you can get some very strange and unwanted results. I don't know how well ZDoom does it/would do it though.