[mkgmap-dev] The x prepended to the *.typ file

Sun Sep 19 11:22:43 BST 2021

Hi all,

I think there is an old rather confusing glitch in mkgmap class TypSaver which it is used with a *.typ file as input, as in 
java -jar mkgmap.jar --output-dir=<map-folder> --family-id=4711 ... -c splitter-dir\template.args ..\typfiles\existing.typ
to make sure that family-id and product-id are correctly updated in the *.typ file.
Since 2012 the program creates / overwrites a copy of file existing.typ in the source(!) directory ..\typfiles with the prefix "x", so ..\typfiles\xexisting.typ is written instead of 
<map-folder>\existing.typ. I can't find it now but I think there were complains that this name doesn't fit the 8+3 rule for old file systems and causes trouble on some devices.

I think when Steve coded this he expected that the *.typ file is in the output directory, not somewhere else. My conclusions:
- I think it is an error to create the copy in the source directory.
- I see no reason to create a copy with the prepended "x", I would just create or alter the file in the given output directory.

@Steve: What case am I missing? What's the reason for the different name in the copy? 
@all: Does anybody rely on this behaviour?

Gerd