The docs need to be updated, applications should import libraries/import.legacy.php and libraries/cms.php to get a proper environment.

https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/blob/staging/cli/deletefiles.php shows a good application startup routine.

Thanks!

Looking at the docs compared to deletefiles.php, and a bit of testing, it seems that:

define('JPATH_BASE', dirname(__FILE__));

require '../libraries/import.php';

Ought to be changed to

define('JPATH_BASE', dirname(__DIR__));

// Load system defines
if (file_exists(JPATH_BASE . '/defines.php'))
{
    require_once JPATH_BASE . '/defines.php';
}

if (!defined('_JDEFINES'))
{
    require_once JPATH_BASE . '/includes/defines.php';
}

// Get the framework.
require_once JPATH_LIBRARIES . '/import.legacy.php';

// Bootstrap the CMS libraries.
require_once JPATH_LIBRARIES . '/cms.php';

Do you agree?

I should add that the reason being

PHP Notice:  Use of undefined constant JPATH_LIBRARIES - assumed 'JPATH_LIBRARIES' in /libraries/import.legacy.php on line 95
PHP Notice:  Use of undefined constant JPATH_LIBRARIES - assumed 'JPATH_LIBRARIES' in /libraries/cms.php on line 42
PHP Warning:  include_once(JPATH_LIBRARIES/fof/include.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in/libraries/cms.php on line 42
PHP Warning:  include_once(): Failed opening 'JPATH_LIBRARIES/fof/include.php' for inclusion

Looks good.

Docs updated, thanks!