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Re: path problem

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg32404] Re: path problem
• From: bghiggins at ucdavis.edu (Brian Higgins)
• Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 01:16:40 -0500 (EST)
• References: <a28bjs$h51$1@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

You can use SetDirectory. But of course you still have to give the
path. A method that I find very useful especially if I am working with
different operating systems is to use the experimental function called
FileBrowse:. Suppose I  have a notebook open and I need to read some
data from a file  buried deep in one of my folders. I type in  and
evaluate

Experimental`FileBrowse[False]

You are then present with a dialog box that allows you to browse for a
file. Once you have found the file  select Open and a string 
representing the path to that file is pasted into the Notebook. I can
then copy that string into the required function e.g. Get or Read etc.
If I want to set the directory for a particular file I can paste the
path with the file name deleted into SetDirectory.

I find this function very handy and helpful for teaching students to
read files into Mathematica no matter what operating system they are
familiar with.

Cheers,

Brian





 isLi-Xin Li <lli at fas.harvard.edu> wrote in message news:<a28bjs$h51$1 at smc.vnet.net>...
> Hi,
> 
> I have just installed a mathematica 4.1 on my PC under dos/windows.
> When I try to run a program, it turns out that mathematica cannot find
> the files in the current directory (the . directory). When I check
> the $Path from mathematica, I find that "." is in the list of paths.
> Could somebody teach me why mathematica cannot find the file in the
> directory (e.g., when I try "<<a.m" mathematica told me "Cannot open
> the file") and how to fix it? Do I have to type the long string for 
> the path of the file each time? Is there a way to configure mathematica 
> so that it can find files in the current directory?
> 
> Thanks,
> L.X.Li