Getting user home directory

[draftomatic]

As I google for a solution it seems that people use either ENV['HOME'] or File.expand_path('~').

Neither of these work on PC since it looks like the variable is HOMEPATH instead. So I was just hoping for a sanity check and wondering what others are doing here. Will this be reliable?

if (WIN)
  userPath = ENV['HOMEDRIVE'] + ENV['HOMEPATH']
elsif (MAC)
  userPath = File.expand_path('~')
end

[Dan Rathbun]

See my code example:
[ Code ] !autoload.rb loads "!_autoload" folders

and FYI:

@unknownuser said:

](http://www.ruby-doc.org/core-1.8.6/classes/File.html#M000794)":1laxg9xj]

File.expand_path(file_name [, dir_string] ) → abs_file_name

Converts a pathname to an absolute pathname. Relative paths are referenced from the current working directory of the process unless dir_string is given, in which case it will be used as the starting point. The given pathname may start with a **` ~`**’’, which expands to the process owner‘s home directory (**%(#008000)[the environment variable HOME must be set correctly]**.) ~user’’ expands to the named user‘s home directory.

[TIG]

Surely ENV["USERPROFILE"] gives it in one step ?

[Dan Rathbun]

As my code does:

ENV['HOME']=ENV['USERPROFILE'] unless ENV['HOME']
ENV['USER']=ENV['USERNAME'] unless ENV['USER']
# now set a global;
$HOME = ENV['HOME']
# .. or use the tilde shortcut within pathstrings.

BTW.. the " ~*user*" feature does not work on Windows. Likely because of Security issues.