CHASM_HOME is an environment variable which is a list of directories which Concepts are searched for. It is ':' separated to allow multiple paths. A useful directory to use which holds many managed concepts is {Chasm install path}/include/chasm. The {Chasm install path} is the output of the chasmconfig binary with the --dir option and the include/chasm is the standard install directory. chasmconfig can then be used to postpend the version number. But this shouldn't be necessary as the chasm directory is a link to the latest chasm build.
All Concepts and Components in their definition give their name. This name can be something like "vocab/Button". So, for every entry in the CHASM_HOME environment variable, we look for vocab/Button.chasmxml and stop when we find the first one. You can just specify a fully resolved name but that is kinda sloppy.
This is useful for finding chasmxml files. Local Concept specs can overwrite ones in the main Chasm if you are tinkering with a local copy. Plus, you can have archives of Concepts which you have created and reused locally while still using the main chasm archive.
This is problematic however. Let me know your ideas/ concerns/ issues.
Chasm determines where to look for chasmxml files via the CHASM_HOME environment variable. This is determined by your install location. To see your install directory type 'chasm-config --dir' and append 'include/chasm_' and 'chasm-config -v'. So, for most installs, this would set CHASM_HOME to '/usr/local/include/chasm_0.3'. For multiple directories, use ':' to append new directories. So '/usr/local/include/chasm_0.3:.' searches the standard install directory and then the local directory. You need to make sure CHASM_HOME includes the current directory.
NOTE: in tcsh, type 'setenv CHASM_HOME /usr/local/incldue/chasm_0.3:.' NOTE2: A good idea is to set this in your .cshrc or .bashrc file so it is set every time you login.
A useful command in your .bashrc file would be (of course make sure chasm-config is in your PATH):
export CHASM_HOME=`chasm-config --dir`/include/chasm_`chasm-config -v`:.