v ls: Don't clutter home dir (use config_dir() and cache_dir())

[yochem]

Describe the feature

I don't like tools that clutter up my $HOME dir. vls does. I've started to move the vls files to the user config and cache directory, see vlang/vls#430. This only implements half of it though. v ls --install still creates ~/.vls and puts in the vls.config.json file (can be moved to os.config_dir()/vls/config.json) and bin and src folder. I'm not sure where they can be moved to, though. Maybe $VMODULES (I'm not sure where it's for). I'm open for suggestions for this.

Use Case

To use the example sentence "I'm always frustrated when..." programs clutter my home directory.

Proposed Solution

Move files to their designated folder. Use os.config_dir() and os.cache_dir().

Other Information

See feature description.

Acknowledgements

• I may be able to implement this feature request
• This feature might incur a breaking change

Version used

V 0.3.3 4ef6e16

Environment details (OS name and version, etc.)

newest MacOS
vls version 0.0.1.95b446e

[JalonSolov]

VMODULES is where V stores modules... including vls.

[yochem]

Would it be a good idea to store the binary in $VMODULES/vls/bin/?

[JalonSolov]

The problem with that is... what happens if there are multiple users on a machine? They would all be forced to use the same config.

That's why things get put in your home dir, instead.

If every system used the XDG_* env vars, it would give a handy place to store things, but not every system uses those.

So instead of having a huge if/else or match, trying to decide where to put things based on which system you're on, it is simpler to put these things under your home dir.

[yochem]

The problem with that is... what happens if there are multiple users on a machine? They would all be forced to use the same config.

That's why things get put in your home dir, instead.

But the config would still be at os.config_dir()/vls/config.json, which is a user specific directory (in my case on MacOS, it points to /Users/yochem/Library/Application Support).

If every system used the XDG_* env vars, it would give a handy place to store things, but not every system uses those.

Even though I like the XDG standard, I get your point that Windows does not use these. That's why I suggested the config_dir/cache_dir functions, which also work on Windows.

So instead of having a huge if/else or match, trying to decide where to put things based on which system you're on, it is simpler to put these things under your home dir.

This would be prevented using the config_dir/cache_dir functions. Let them handle the complexity of supporting different OS's (which they already do), and just be sure that the config files are in the config directory of that OS, the cache files are in the cache directory of that OS, etc.

[JalonSolov]

I agree with the idea of using os.config_dir(). I was mainly responding to your question of why not use $VMODULES/vls/bin/.

[yochem]

Ah okay. Sorry that I explained it again then. I suggested $VMODULES/vls/bin/ only for the binary. Would it be a problem to share the binary between users? Also, currently os.vmodules_dir() gives /Users/yochem/Library/Caches/vmodules and thus also seems user specific. Only problem seems that it is in the Cache folder...

[JalonSolov]

It's not a problem, just a "catch-all" decision. V also caches built objects, etc.

For the binary, it is already being built in $VMODULES/vls/bin, and no there's no problem sharing the binary, since it uses the separate config file.