#!/bin/ksh
# Uses companion script 'path -u' to list distinct items in colon-separated list
# on one line per item, # and returns a string in the form of a colon-separated
# list of entries.
#
# This is useful when configuring path settings, as you typically want to append
# an item to the path # only if it is not already present.
# e.g:
# CLASSPATH=$(newpath ${CLASSPATH}:${ORACLE_HOME}/some/other/dir:~/java/wherever)
#
# I have not allowed spaces e.g. "newpath ${PATH} /otherdir /thirdplace" because
# (1) it complicates things, and
# (2) it would be ambiguous since a directory name could potentially include spaces.
#
# William Robertson, www.williamrobertson.net

usage="'${0##*/}' utility, William Robertson 2003, www.williamrobertson.net.
\nUsage: ${0##*/} [ pathstring ]
\nOptional pathstring defaults to \$PATH"

# Default argument is the PATH variable:
oldpath="${1:-${PATH}}"
newpath=""

for d in $(path -u ${oldpath})
do
	newpath=${newpath}:${d}
done

newpath=${newpath#:}
newpath=${newpath%:}

print ${newpath}