Keeping $PATH consistent

[Bob Alexander <bob@ngi.it>]

Let's see if this time I make it :)

I have been reading the bash manpage and came out a bit confused.

I would simply (?) desire for my user bob that whether a bash shell is a 
login shell or not, whether it is invoked as bash or sh, whether a 
console or in a xterm, my PATH variable is always the same.

As a derivative requirement I would like to have the least number of 
files, possibly ONE, in which I setup and change things.

Other than symlinking ~/.bash_profile and ~/.bashrc and setting PATH in 
one of those, should I look after other variables ?

Thank you,
Bob