[Pythonmac-SIG] Re: Per user dirs on Non-Unix platforms (was Re: [Python-Dev] Where to install non-code files) (fwd)

[Peter Funk]

Hi Jack!

Thank you for your response.  The Mac and the philosphy behind MacOS is
still an alien world to me (and maybe others also).

> But note that 99% of the code that uses os.environ['HOME'] uses it to stuff 
> dot-files in there, or obtain a point to store a mail folder or some such. 

Let me try to explain 'some such' as follows:  data which is somewhat
related to a particular user (e.g. personal preferences: adjustements
which represent the personal taste of a user).  This data should not
be lost, 
	1. if a new version of the software package is installed.
or	2. if another user (e.g. a colleague) uses the computer.

> And 
> these things should be done differently on the Mac anyway, so putting a value 
> into HOME may do more harm than good.

So let me ask: If differently: *HOW* should this things be done on the Mac?  

On a Unixoid system for example I would use
	os.path.join(os.environ["HOME"], ".myapplication", "preferences")
What should an application programmer use on the Mac instead?

Is there nothing else than the global preferences subfolder in the 
systemfolder?  And how to figure the pathname of this one out on a Mac 
running for example the german version of MacOS, where this is called 
"System Ordner"... Is there an API exposed to Python? I'm not aware 
of anything.

Regards, Peter