* files.el (parse-colon-path): Return nil for empty path elements.

Fixes: debbugs:13296

2 files changed, 11 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index a62a9cdb188..2a7fc8f7fd4 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2012-12-31  Glenn Morris  <rgm@gnu.org>
+
+        * files.el (parse-colon-path): Doc fix.  (Bug#12351)
+        Return nil for empty path elements.  (Bug#13296)
+
 2012-12-31  Fabián Ezequiel Gallina  <fgallina@cuca>
 
         * progmodes/python.el (python-nav-end-of-statement): Rewrite in
diff --git a/lisp/files.el b/lisp/files.el
index 62ad96cf28c..301653abfb9 100644
--- a/lisp/files.el
+++ b/lisp/files.el
@@ -660,11 +660,14 @@ Not actually set up until the first time you use it.")
   "Explode a search path into a list of directory names.
 Directories are separated by `path-separator' (which is colon in
 GNU and Unix systems).  Substitute environment variables into the
-resulting list of directory names."
+resulting list of directory names.  For an empty path element (i.e.,
+a leading or trailing separator, or two adjacent separators), return
+nil (meaning `default-directory') as the associated list element."
   (when (stringp search-path)
     (mapcar (lambda (f)
-              (substitute-in-file-name (file-name-as-directory f)))
-            (split-string search-path path-separator t))))
+              (if (equal "" f) nil
+                (substitute-in-file-name (file-name-as-directory f))))
+            (split-string search-path path-separator))))
 
 (defun cd-absolute (dir)
   "Change current directory to given absolute file name DIR."