bug#4902: 23.1; directory-abbrev-alist is not handled early enough

[David J. Biesack]

> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:35:23 +0200
> From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
> CC: <4902@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com>, <monnier@IRO.UMontreal.CA>
> 
> > Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:47:36 -0500
> > From: "David J. Biesack" <David.Biesack@sas.com>
> > CC: 4902@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com, monnier@IRO.UMontreal.CA
> > 
> > > About the only thing I can suggest is to run with the drive u: being
> > > the current drive.  Then /foo/bar on both Windows and Unix will refer
> > > to the same place, and you don't need any mapping at all.
> > 
> > that still won't work for Unix network paths that are not mapped in U:
> 
> What prevents you from mapping them all to U: ?

There are dozens if not hundreds of them.  U: is mapped (by our IT department)
to our Unix login (Unix/User, hence U:) directory. 
Other things are not our login directories and it would be wrong to map them 
there.
Similarly, we would not want to require each user to duplicate a bunch of
drive mappings on their desktops (or symlinks in their unix login directories)
Thus, We use UNC paths for these other locations.
For example, I would access your login at \\sashq\root\u\eliz 
whereas it would be U:\ for your, and you would see mine
at \\sashq\root\u\sasdjb

This has all evolved over a period of years...

-- 
David J. Biesack, SAS
SAS Campus Dr. Cary, NC 27513
www.sas.com    (919) 531-7771