Is $PATH environment variable of a desktop environment different from that in a shell?

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                          I am trying to find the .desktop file for qtcreator, so I write this:

    $ for p in ${XDG_DATA_DIRS//:/ }; do
        grep -rni 'qtcreator' $p;
    done
And here is the most relevant lines:

    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qtcreator-plugin-ubuntu:ubuntusdk.desktop:2:X-AppInstall-Package=qtcreator-plugin-ubuntu
    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qtcreator-plugin-ubuntu:ubuntusdk.desktop:6:Exec=qtcreator %F
    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qtcreator-plugin-ubuntu:ubuntusdk.desktop:7:Icon=ubuntu-qtcreator
    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qtcreator:qtcreator.desktop:2:X-AppInstall-Package=qtcreator
    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qtcreator:qtcreator.desktop:6:Exec=qtcreator %F
    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qtcreator:qtcreator.desktop:7:Icon=QtProject-qtcreator
    /usr/share/app-install/desktop/qhimdtransfer:qhimdtransfer.desktop:12:#Icon=qtcreator_logo_32

I think the qtcreator:qtcreator.desktop is the desktop entry for QtCreator, so I open it and find out:

    [Desktop Entry]
    X-AppInstall-Package=qtcreator
    X-AppInstall-Popcon=292
    X-AppInstall-Section=universe
    
    Exec=qtcreator %F
    Icon=QtProject-qtcreator
    Type=Application
    Terminal=false
    Name=Qt Creator
    GenericName=Integrated Development Environment
    MimeType=text/x-c++src;text/x-c++hdr;text/x-xsrc;application/x-designer;application/vnd.nokia.qt.qmakeprofile;application/vnd.nokia.xml.qt.resource;
    Categories=Qt;Development;IDE;
    InitialPreference=9
    
    X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=app-install-data

**qtcreator is not in the variable $PATH of the shell**. But I can still launch QtCreator in gnome unity.

From the [freedesktop-exec-variables](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html#exec-variables)  I noticed
> If no full path is provided the executable is looked up in the $PATH environment variable used by the desktop environment.


### Question
Is $PATH environment variable of a desktop environment different from that is a shell?

If so, where is the config file containing the $PATH variable for desktop environment?

I install a newer version of QtCreator then launch QtCreator in desktop and find out it references to the newer version without changing the qtcreator:qtcreator.desktop file. I think there is something to with the path of qt?

Desktop environment: gnome

OS: ubuntu16.04

**Edit**

The actual problem I encountered was not about $PATH(see my answer blow). Gilles' answer is actually the answer to `Is $PATH environment variable of a desktop environment different from that in a shell?' so I accepted it in case that someone has the same doubt as me.
                        
Asked by z.h. (1084 rep)
Jul 1, 2018, 12:36 AM
Last activity: Jul 1, 2018, 10:33 AM
Is $PATH environment variable of a desktop environment different from that in a shell?

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