It's not a wild pathname but it does satisfy wild-pathname-p. Given that wild-pathname-p returns t, it is correct that an error is thrown http://www.lispworks.com/documentation/HyperSpec/Issues/iss267_w.htm

You can address a file called "*" by quoting. (wild-pathname-p "*") -> (:wild :wild-inferiors) (wild-pathname-p "\*") -> nil (probe-file "~/*" ) throws an error (probe-file "~/\*") works - I checked by creating a file called "*" in my home directory.

Alan

On Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 7:27 PM Robert Goldman rpgoldman@sift.net wrote:

In SBCL and Allegro, it's possible for UIOP to create a pathname for a file whose name is "*" and then we can find a file with such a(n odd) pathname.

On ABCL, though, this gives me an error:

(truename (ensure-pathname "*"))

(truename (uiop:ensure-pathname "*")) #<THREAD "interpreter" native {21C91F12}>: Debugger invoked on condition of type FILE-ERROR Cannot find the TRUENAME for a wild pathname.

But actually, I don't think this *is* a wild pathname:

CL-USER(4): (describe (uiop:ensure-pathname "*")) #P"*" is an object of type PATHNAME: HOST NIL DEVICE NIL DIRECTORY NIL NAME "*" TYPE :UNSPECIFIC VERSION NIL

*this* is a wild pathname:

CL-USER(5): (describe (parse-namestring "*")) #P"*" is an object of type PATHNAME: HOST NIL DEVICE NIL DIRECTORY NIL NAME :WILD TYPE NIL VERSION NIL

Is this an ABCL bug, since it means ABCL cannot address a file whose name is "*"?

The interested may refer to this ASDF issue https://gitlab.common-lisp.net/asdf/asdf/-/issues/140 and the corresponding merge request.

Thanks!