configuration-directory-use-xdg-config-home

Configuration directory: use $XDG_CONFIG_HOME

We prefer to have a user's configuration directory in a standard place:

• Use XDG_CONFIG_HOME environment variable if it's set.
• Otherwise use $HOME/.config.
• Append the program command, so the program uses its own subdirectory.

Code:

config_home() { out "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}" ; }; export -f config_home;
config_dir() { out $(config_home)"/$program_command" ; };

Notes:

• We prefer the terminology "config" over "conf", "cfg", etc.
• Our preference is because "config" is the Unix standard, and also is in the XDG environment variable name.

References:

• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_Base_Directory_support

Purpose:

• Where user-specific configurations should be written (analogous to /etc).
• Should default to $HOME/.config.