README.md
1[](https://crates.io/crates/dirs-next)
2[](https://docs.rs/dirs-next/)
3
4# `dirs-next`
5
6**Note**: This is a fork of once-abandoned `dirs` crate.
7
8There is a mid-level sister library, [directories-next].
9
10## Introduction
11
12- a tiny low-level library with a minimal API
13- that provides the platform-specific, user-accessible locations
14- for retrieving and storing configuration, cache and other data
15- on Linux, Redox, Windows (≥ Vista), macOS and other platforms.
16
17The library provides the location of these directories by leveraging the mechanisms defined by
18- the [XDG base directory](https://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html) and
19 the [XDG user directory](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/xdg-user-dirs/) specifications on Linux and Redox
20- the [Known Folder](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378457.aspx) API on Windows
21- the [Standard Directories](https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/FileSystemOverview/FileSystemOverview.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40010672-CH2-SW6)
22 guidelines on macOS
23
24## Platforms
25
26This library is written in Rust, and supports Linux, Redox, macOS and Windows.
27Other platforms are also supported; they use the Linux conventions.
28
29## Minimum Rust version policy
30
31The minimal required version of Rust is `1.34.0`.
32
33We may bump the Rust version in major and minor releases (`x`/`y` in `x.y.z`).
34Changing the Rust version will be written in the CHANGELOG.
35
36## Example
37
38Library run by user Alice:
39
40```rust
41dirs_next::home_dir();
42// Lin: Some(/home/alice)
43// Win: Some(C:\Users\Alice)
44// Mac: Some(/Users/Alice)
45
46dirs_next::audio_dir();
47// Lin: Some(/home/alice/Music)
48// Win: Some(C:\Users\Alice\Music)
49// Mac: Some(/Users/Alice/Music)
50
51dirs_next::config_dir();
52// Lin: Some(/home/alice/.config)
53// Win: Some(C:\Users\Alice\AppData\Roaming)
54// Mac: Some(/Users/Alice/Library/Application Support)
55
56dirs_next::executable_dir();
57// Lin: Some(/home/alice/.local/bin)
58// Win: None
59// Mac: None
60```
61
62## Design Goals
63
64- The _dirs-next_ library is a low-level crate designed to provide the paths to standard directories
65 as defined by operating systems rules or conventions. If your requirements are more complex,
66 e. g. computing cache, config, etc. paths for specific applications or projects, consider using
67 [directories-next] instead.
68- This library does not create directories or check for their existence. The library only provides
69 information on what the path to a certain directory _should_ be. How this information is used is
70 a decision that developers need to make based on the requirements of each individual application.
71- This library is intentionally focused on providing information on user-writable directories only.
72 There is no discernible benefit in returning a path that points to a user-level, writable
73 directory on one operating system, but a system-level, read-only directory on another, that would
74 outweigh the confusion and unexpected failures such an approach would cause.
75 - `executable_dir` is specified to provide the path to a user-writable directory for binaries.<br/>
76 As such a directory only commonly exists on Linux, it returns `None` on macOS and Windows.
77 - `font_dir` is specified to provide the path to a user-writable directory for fonts.<br/>
78 As such a directory only exists on Linux and macOS, it returns `None` on Windows.
79 - `runtime_dir` is specified to provide the path to a directory for non-essential runtime data.
80 It is required that this directory is created when the user logs in, is only accessible by the
81 user itself, is deleted when the user logs out, and supports all filesystem features of the
82 operating system.<br/>
83 As such a directory only commonly exists on Linux, it returns `None` on macOS and Windows.
84
85## Features
86
87**If you want to compute the location of cache, config or data directories for your own application or project,
88use `ProjectDirs` of the [directories-next] project instead.**
89
90| Function name | Value on Linux/Redox | Value on Windows | Value on macOS |
91| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
92| `home_dir` | `Some($HOME)` | `Some({FOLDERID_Profile})` | `Some($HOME)` |
93| `cache_dir` | `Some($XDG_CACHE_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.cache`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_LocalAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Caches`)` |
94| `config_dir` | `Some($XDG_CONFIG_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.config`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_RoamingAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Application Support`)` |
95| `data_dir` | `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/share`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_RoamingAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Application Support`)` |
96| `data_local_dir` | `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/share`)` | `Some({FOLDERID_LocalAppData})` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Application Support`)` |
97| `executable_dir` | `Some($XDG_BIN_HOME`/../bin`)` or `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME`/../bin`)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/bin`)` | `None` | `None` |
98| `runtime_dir` | `Some($XDG_RUNTIME_DIR)` or `None` | `None` | `None` |
99| `audio_dir` | `Some(XDG_MUSIC_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Music})` | `Some($HOME`/Music/`)` |
100| `desktop_dir` | `Some(XDG_DESKTOP_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Desktop})` | `Some($HOME`/Desktop/`)` |
101| `document_dir` | `Some(XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Documents})` | `Some($HOME`/Documents/`)` |
102| `download_dir` | `Some(XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Downloads})` | `Some($HOME`/Downloads/`)` |
103| `font_dir` | `Some($XDG_DATA_HOME`/fonts/`)` or `Some($HOME`/.local/share/fonts/`)` | `None` | `Some($HOME`/Library/Fonts/`)` |
104| `picture_dir` | `Some(XDG_PICTURES_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Pictures})` | `Some($HOME`/Pictures/`)` |
105| `public_dir` | `Some(XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Public})` | `Some($HOME`/Public/`)` |
106| `template_dir` | `Some(XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Templates})` | `None` |
107| `video_dir` | `Some(XDG_VIDEOS_DIR)` or `None` | `Some({FOLDERID_Videos})` | `Some($HOME`/Movies/`)` |
108
109## Comparison
110
111There are other crates in the Rust ecosystem that try similar or related things.
112Here is an overview of them, combined with ratings on properties that guided the design of this crate.
113
114Please take this table with a grain of salt: a different crate might very well be more suitable for your specific use case.
115
116| Library | Status | Lin | Mac | Win |Base|User|Proj|Conv|
117| --------------------- | -------------- |:---:|:---:|:---:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|
118| `app_dirs` | Unmaintained | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | �� | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
119| `app_dirs2` | Maintained | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | �� | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
120| **dirs-next** | **Developed** | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ |
121| `directories-next` | Developed | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
122| `s_app_dir` | Unmaintained? | ✔ | ✖ | �� | ✖ | ✖ | �� | ✖ |
123| `standard_paths` | Maintained | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
124| `xdg` | Maintained | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ | �� |
125| `xdg-basedir` | Unmaintained? | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | �� |
126| `xdg-rs` | Obsolete | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | �� |
127
128- Lin: Linux support
129- Mac: macOS support
130- Win: Windows support
131- Base: Supports [generic base directories](https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories#basedirs)
132- User: Supports [user directories](https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories#userdirs)
133- Proj: Supports [project-specific base directories](https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories#projectdirs)
134- Conv: Follows naming conventions of the operating system it runs on
135
136## Build
137
138It's possible to cross-compile this library if the necessary toolchains are installed with rustup.
139This is helpful to ensure a change hasn't broken code on a different platform.
140
141The following commands will build this library on Linux, macOS and Windows:
142
143```console
144cargo build --target=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
145cargo build --target=x86_64-pc-windows-gnu
146cargo build --target=x86_64-apple-darwin
147cargo build --target=x86_64-unknown-redox
148```
149
150## License
151
152Licensed under either of
153
154 * Apache License, Version 2.0
155 ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE) or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)
156 * MIT license
157 ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
158
159at your option.
160
161## Contribution
162
163Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted
164for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be
165dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions.
166
167[directories-next]: https://github.com/xdg-rs/dirs/tree/master/directories
168
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