zsh prompt uses variables names (despite unsetting AUTO_NAME_DIRS)

Question

I have assigned a directory to a variable in my .zshrc file like so:

export DOTFILES=$HOME/.dotfiles

Now my zsh prompt reads ~DOTFILES when I am in the .dotfiles directory. I did some research (in this thread: Variable names in prompt instead of path) and found that zsh has an AUTO_NAME_DIRS option which does this very thing.

I tried unsetopt AUTO_NAME_DIRS but my zsh prompt still shows the variable name instead of the path. I ran the unsetopt command and found that autonamedirs is indeed in the list of unset options. I also ran setopt to make sure it wasn't in the list of set options, and it is not.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Answer 1

Think of it as a hook to create named directories that is triggered at variable setting.

So if auto_name_dirs parameter is set and you set some value % TMP=/tmp, it will also create a named dir for /tmp using TMP. If you later unset the parameter, the directory name remains. If you create a number of variables % USER=/usr with auto_name_dirs unset, and after set the option, no directory naming will take place.

~ % zsh -f
dhcp-193-107% setopt autonamedirs
dhcp-193-107% TMP=/tmp
dhcp-193-107% export PS1="dir-prompt %~ : "
dir-prompt ~ : cd /tmp
dir-prompt ~TMP : unset autonamedirs
dir-prompt ~TMP : cd /
dir-prompt / : cd /tmp
dir-prompt ~TMP : # see the dir name still exists
dir-prompt ~TMP : USER=/usr     
dir-prompt ~TMP : cd /usr
dir-prompt /usr : # no dir name for /usr
dir-prompt /usr : setopt autonamedirs
dir-prompt /usr : cd /
dir-prompt / : cd /usr
dir-prompt /usr : # still no dir name for /usr