On 15/08/17 07:30 AM, Jim wrote:
> Hi Ray,

> Try the following to understand what PATH_DIRS can do:
>
>   mkdir ../System/Subdir
>   mv ../System/somescript ../System/Subdir
>   unsetopt pathdirs
>   . Subdir/somescript       # script should not run
>   setopt pathdirs
>   . Subdir/somescript       # should see output from script
>
> I believe from reading the man page, this is what PATH_DIRS is
> intended to do.  As Bart said, it *uses* PATH. If you +x somescript
> you can just type:
>
>   Subdir/somescript
>
> At least this is how I interpreted what PATH_DIRS, as defined in the man
> page, does.  "Perform a path search even on command names with
> slashes in them."  Maybe it should say, "In addition to the normal path
> search, preform a path search on command names with slashes in them."
> Maybe I'm missing some other case use.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Jim


Hugely, thanks Jim.   The doc frankly baffled me, now I get it, it adds 
subdirectories of the path to the (effective) path.   Why not just say 
that?  Seemed to be talking about slashes as parts of filenames or some 
such voodoo.  Now Bart's "uses PATH" is understandable.  Darkest just 
before dawn!