[Development] Naming of path/directory-related environment variables in Qt

[Christian Kandeler]

On 11/11/2016 04:13 PM, Mitch Curtis wrote:
> I'd like to establish some kind of convention for naming path/directory-related environment variables in Qt, with the hope that it could be set in stone with e.g. one of these newfangled QUIPs.
> 
> Pelagicore (via Gordan) kindly contributed a patch to Qt Virtual Keyboard, where they introduced a QT_VIRTUALKEYBOARD_LAYOUTS_FOLDER environment variable:
> 
> https://codereview.qt-project.org/#/c/174616/
> 
> I then asked Gordan to change this to QT_VIRTUALKEYBOARD_LAYOUTS_DIR, as it seemed we had a few other environment variables using this naming scheme.
> 
> JP then pushed a patch that adds QT_QUICK_CONTROLS_STYLE_PATH to Qt Quick Controls 2:
> 
> https://codereview.qt-project.org/#/c/176512/
> 
> He found more examples of where we've used "PATH" than where we used "DIR", so it seems like a good time to continue with that trend so that we don't have any more inconsistencies.
> 
> My hope is that enough approvers see this email (or QUIP) and its conclusion (whatever it may be) and -1 patches that go against the convention.
> 
> So, can we all agree on using "PATH" when naming environment variables that refer to paths?

But note that "path" is more generic than "dir": A "file path" is not
(necessarily) a directory. So the latter name conveys more information
to me as a user.


Christian