> > So if I want to keep everything related to one project (command log,
> > output log, data) in that project's directory, then my
> > choices seem to be:
> >
> > 1.  always use full path names
> > 2.  always -cd- to the proper directory at the beginning of a Stata
> > session (or the beginning of a do-file), using full path name or the
> > -fastce- package, and then can use relative (short) file names.
> >
> > Do I have that right?
Almost, I think. I would not recommend to -cd /to/project/directory- at the 
beginning of a do-file, as you have mentioned within the parentheses of your 
second point. The do-files belonging to a specific project should be already 
in the project directory, and you should start them from within that 
directory. Hence in principal:
. cd /path/to/my/project/directory  // <- -fastcd- makes this easier
. do mydo
where mydo.do contains only relative pathnames:
---------------------
use xyz, clear   // 
capture mkdir logetc
capture mkdir graphs
...
log using logetc/mydo, replace
...
scatter y x, saving(graphs/mydo_1, replace)
graph export graphs/mydo_1.eps, replace
....
save mydo, replace
log close
exit
-------------------------
Other strategies might work as well. This one has survived changes from 
Windows to Linux and Macintosh as well as relocations between Konstanz, 
Mannheim, Los Angeles, Berlin and Washington. 
-- 
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