2 files changed, 34 insertions, 18 deletions

diff --git a/repoze/bfg/tests/test_view.py b/repoze/bfg/tests/test_view.py
index 53c0248ed..ca1037a67 100644
--- a/repoze/bfg/tests/test_view.py
+++ b/repoze/bfg/tests/test_view.py
@@ -432,24 +432,34 @@ class TestStaticView(unittest.TestCase, BaseTest):
         from repoze.bfg.view import static
         return static
 
-    def _getHere(self):
+    def _makeOne(self, path):
+        return self._getTargetClass()(path)
+        
+    def test_abspath(self):
         import os
-        return os.path.dirname(__file__)
+        path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+        view = self._makeOne(path)
+        context = DummyContext()
+        request = DummyRequest()
+        request.subpath = ['__init__.py']
+        request.environ = self._makeEnviron()
+        response = view(context, request)
+        self.assertEqual(request.copied, True)
+        self.assertEqual(response.directory, path)
 
-    def _makeOne(self):
-        here = self._getHere()
-        return self._getTargetClass()(here)
-        
-    def test_it(self):
-        view = self._makeOne()
+    def test_relpath(self):
+        import os
+        path = 'fixtures'
+        view = self._makeOne(path)
         context = DummyContext()
         request = DummyRequest()
         request.subpath = ['__init__.py']
         request.environ = self._makeEnviron()
         response = view(context, request)
         self.assertEqual(request.copied, True)
-        here = self._getHere()
-        self.assertEqual(response.directory, here)
+        here = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+        abspath = os.path.join(here, 'fixtures')
+        self.assertEqual(response.directory, abspath)
 
 class TestBFGViewDecorator(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
diff --git a/repoze/bfg/view.py b/repoze/bfg/view.py
index 3b27a8b94..67c664855 100644
--- a/repoze/bfg/view.py
+++ b/repoze/bfg/view.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from repoze.bfg.interfaces import ISecurityPolicy
 from repoze.bfg.interfaces import IViewPermission
 from repoze.bfg.interfaces import IView
 
+from repoze.bfg.path import caller_path
 from repoze.bfg.security import Unauthorized
 from repoze.bfg.security import Allowed
 
@@ -132,15 +133,20 @@ class static(object):
     directory may contain subdirectories (recursively); the static
     view implementation will descend into these directories as
     necessary based on the components of the URL in order to resolve a
-    path into a response
-
-    Pass the absolute filesystem path to the directory containing
-    static files directory to the constructor as the ``root_dir``
-    argument.  ``cache_max_age`` influences the Expires and Max-Age
-    response headers returned by the view (default is 3600 seconds or
-    five minutes).
+    path into a response.
+
+    You may pass an absolute or relative filesystem path to the
+    directory containing static files directory to the constructor as
+    the ``root_dir`` argument.  If the path is relative, it will be
+    considered relative to the directory in which the Python file
+    which calls ``static`` resides.  ``cache_max_age`` influences the
+    Expires and Max-Age response headers returned by the view (default
+    is 3600 seconds or five minutes).  ``level`` influences how
+    relative directories are resolved (the number of hops in the call
+    stack), not used very often.
     """
-    def __init__(self, root_dir, cache_max_age=3600):
+    def __init__(self, root_dir, cache_max_age=3600, level=2):
+        root_dir = caller_path(root_dir, level=level)
         self.app = StaticURLParser(root_dir, cache_max_age=cache_max_age)
 
     def __call__(self, context, request):