| [](https://crates.io/crates/dirs-next) |
| [](https://docs.rs/dirs-next/) |
| |
| # `dirs-next` |
| |
| **Note**: This is a fork of once-abandoned `dirs` crate. |
| |
| There is a mid-level sister library, [directories-next]. |
| |
| ## Introduction |
| |
| - a tiny low-level library with a minimal API |
| - that provides the platform-specific, user-accessible locations |
| - for retrieving and storing configuration, cache and other data |
| - on Linux, Redox, Windows (≥ Vista), macOS and other platforms. |
| |
| The library provides the location of these directories by leveraging the mechanisms defined by |
| - the [XDG base directory](https://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html) and |
| the [XDG user directory](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/xdg-user-dirs/) specifications on Linux and Redox |
| - the [Known Folder](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378457.aspx) API on Windows |
| - the [Standard Directories](https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/FileSystemOverview/FileSystemOverview.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40010672-CH2-SW6) |
| guidelines on macOS |
| |
| ## Platforms |
| |
| This library is written in Rust, and supports Linux, Redox, macOS and Windows. |
| Other platforms are also supported; they use the Linux conventions. |
| |
| ## Minimum Rust version policy |
| |
| The minimal required version of Rust is `1.34.0`. |
| |
| We may bump the Rust version in major and minor releases (`x`/`y` in `x.y.z`). |
| Changing the Rust version will be written in the CHANGELOG. |
| |
| ## Example |
| |
| Library run by user Alice: |
| |
| ```rust |
| dirs_next::home_dir(); |
| // Lin: Some(/home/alice) |
| // Win: Some(C:\Users\Alice) |
| // Mac: Some(/Users/Alice) |
| |
| dirs_next::audio_dir(); |
| // Lin: Some(/home/alice/Music) |
| // Win: Some(C:\Users\Alice\Music) |
| // Mac: Some(/Users/Alice/Music) |
| |
| dirs_next::config_dir(); |
| // Lin: Some(/home/alice/.config) |
| // Win: Some(C:\Users\Alice\AppData\Roaming) |
| // Mac: Some(/Users/Alice/Library/Application Support) |
| |
| dirs_next::executable_dir(); |
| // Lin: Some(/home/alice/.local/bin) |
| // Win: None |
| // Mac: None |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Design Goals |
| |
| - The _dirs-next_ library is a low-level crate designed to provide the paths to standard directories |
| as defined by operating systems rules or conventions. If your requirements are more complex, |
| e. g. computing cache, config, etc. paths for specific applications or projects, consider using |
| [directories-next] instead. |
| - This library does not create directories or check for their existence. The library only provides |
| information on what the path to a certain directory _should_ be. How this information is used is |
| a decision that developers need to make based on the requirements of each individual application. |
| - This library is intentionally focused on providing information on user-writable directories only. |
| There is no discernible benefit in returning a path that points to a user-level, writable |
| directory on one operating system, but a system-level, read-only directory on another, that would |
| outweigh the confusion and unexpected failures such an approach would cause. |
| - `executable_dir` is specified to provide the path to a user-writable directory for binaries.<br/> |
| As such a directory only commonly exists on Linux, it returns `None` on macOS and Windows. |
| - `font_dir` is specified to provide the path to a user-writable directory for fonts.<br/> |
| As such a directory only exists on Linux and macOS, it returns `None` on Windows. |
| - `runtime_dir` is specified to provide the path to a directory for non-essential runtime data. |
| It is required that this directory is created when the user logs in, is only accessible by the |
| user itself, is deleted when the user logs out, and supports all filesystem features of the |
| operating system.<br/> |
| As such a directory only commonly exists on Linux, it returns `None` on macOS and Windows. |
| |
| ## Features |
| |
| **If you want to compute the location of cache, config or data directories for your own application or project, |
| use `ProjectDirs` of the [directories-next] project instead.** |
| |
| | Function name | Value on Linux/Redox | Value on Windows | Value on macOS | |
| | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | |
| | `home_dir` | `Some($HOME)` | `Some({FOLDERID_Profile})` | `Some($HOME)` | |
| | `cache_dir` | `Some($XDG_CACHE_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.cache`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_LocalAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Caches`)` | |
| | `config_dir` | `Some($XDG_CONFIG_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.config`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_RoamingAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Application Support`)` | |
| | `data_dir` | `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/share`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_RoamingAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Application Support`)` | |
| | `data_local_dir` | `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/share`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_LocalAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Application Support`)` | |
| | `executable_dir` | `Some($XDG_BIN_HOME`/../bin`)` or `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME`/../bin`)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/bin`)` | `None` | `None` | |
| | `runtime_dir` | `Some($XDG_RUNTIME_DIR)` or `None` | `None` | `None` | |
| | `audio_dir` | `Some(XDG_MUSIC_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Music})` | `Some($HOME`/Music/`)` | |
| | `desktop_dir` | `Some(XDG_DESKTOP_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Desktop})` | `Some($HOME`/Desktop/`)` | |
| | `document_dir` | `Some(XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Documents})` | `Some($HOME`/Documents/`)` | |
| | `download_dir` | `Some(XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Downloads})` | `Some($HOME`/Downloads/`)` | |
| | `font_dir` | `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME`/fonts/`)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/share/fonts/`)` | `None` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Fonts/`)` | |
| | `picture_dir` | `Some(XDG_PICTURES_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Pictures})` | `Some($HOME`/Pictures/`)` | |
| | `public_dir` | `Some(XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Public})` | `Some($HOME`/Public/`)` | |
| | `template_dir` | `Some(XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Templates})` | `None` | |
| | `video_dir` | `Some(XDG_VIDEOS_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Videos})` | `Some($HOME`/Movies/`)` | |
| |
| ## Comparison |
| |
| There are other crates in the Rust ecosystem that try similar or related things. |
| Here is an overview of them, combined with ratings on properties that guided the design of this crate. |
| |
| Please take this table with a grain of salt: a different crate might very well be more suitable for your specific use case. |
| |
| | Library | Status | Lin | Mac | Win |Base|User|Proj|Conv| |
| | --------------------- | -------------- |:---:|:---:|:---:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:| |
| | `app_dirs` | Unmaintained | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 🞈 | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | |
| | `app_dirs2` | Maintained | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 🞈 | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | |
| | **dirs-next** | **Developed** | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| | `directories-next` | Developed | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| | `s_app_dir` | Unmaintained? | ✔ | ✖ | 🞈 | ✖ | ✖ | 🞈 | ✖ | |
| | `standard_paths` | Maintained | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | |
| | `xdg` | Maintained | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | 🞈 | |
| | `xdg-basedir` | Unmaintained? | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | 🞈 | |
| | `xdg-rs` | Obsolete | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | 🞈 | |
| |
| - Lin: Linux support |
| - Mac: macOS support |
| - Win: Windows support |
| - Base: Supports [generic base directories](https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories#basedirs) |
| - User: Supports [user directories](https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories#userdirs) |
| - Proj: Supports [project-specific base directories](https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories#projectdirs) |
| - Conv: Follows naming conventions of the operating system it runs on |
| |
| ## Build |
| |
| It's possible to cross-compile this library if the necessary toolchains are installed with rustup. |
| This is helpful to ensure a change hasn't broken code on a different platform. |
| |
| The following commands will build this library on Linux, macOS and Windows: |
| |
| ```console |
| cargo build --target=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu |
| cargo build --target=x86_64-pc-windows-gnu |
| cargo build --target=x86_64-apple-darwin |
| cargo build --target=x86_64-unknown-redox |
| ``` |
| |
| ## License |
| |
| Licensed under either of |
| |
| * Apache License, Version 2.0 |
| ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE) or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0) |
| * MIT license |
| ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT) |
| |
| at your option. |
| |
| ## Contribution |
| |
| Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted |
| for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be |
| dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions. |
| |
| [directories-next]: https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories |
